


The wrong Hermione

by Angelamore



Series: The time turner accident [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Bad Decisions, F/M, Family Drama, Hogwarts, Memories, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Seduction, Sex, Time Turner, Trauma, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-17 07:46:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 38,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14828268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelamore/pseuds/Angelamore
Summary: She isn't the Hermione that helped defeat Voldemort. Nor is she Hermione that married Ronald Weasley. She's the woman that lost everyone and now left behind the child that was everything to her.





	1. A second to late

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone.  
> If you haven't read part one of this series please do because it works as a Prologue to this story.
> 
> I planned this second part for more than a year now and I think I have an idea where I'm heading.  
> The lovely and super fast EvaFanFic has done an awesome work betaing this story. Any remaining mistakes are solely my own.  
> Updates are scheduled random for now. My work sucks if I'm on a deadline.  
> I hope you'll like it and every Kudo, every comment makes me a happy woman.
> 
> The story is rated mature for later content. Please consider the PTSD tag and don't read this story if you want a happy go lucky kind of story.

She noticed her mistake just a second too late.

Scorpius and Hermione appeared just where they had left earlier, next to the Great Lake. Scorpius looked around and sighed in relief. Everything was back to normal and Albus was there, sitting on the grass next to a confused Hermione.

"You are back" Scorpius yelled and fell into his mates arms. Maybe it was effeminate but he didn't care, he had his best friend back and he was alive.

"Of course I'm back. But what is Aunt Hermione doing here? Didn't it work out?" Albus muttered as he looked around unhappily. Everything was just as it had been before. He had hoped for more.

"Albus Potter! You can consider yourself more than lucky that we were able to abort your foolish, childish rescue mission. Do you even know what you brought about? One doesn't play with time turners. Every small change of the past can have a devastating effect on your whole life. In this case, you killed your father." Hermione's voice was piercing and cold as she shouted at the boy. In her rant, she didn't notice at first the Professor McGonagall running towards them along with Draco, Ron, Harry and Ginny.  


"Hermione!" the Headmistress called. "Please compose yourself. What happened?"  


Confused, the addressed turned around and looked at the newcomers. She hadn't seen most of them in years. Her eyes rested on Draco and tears started to run on her cheeks, moistening her face.  


"You are alive" she whispered, astonished. "This must be a dream."  


Overflowing with gratitude, she looked at Scorpius for whom the penny began to drop. Just like himself had replaced the Scorpius in the changed timeline, the Hermione he time travelled with had replaced the local Hermione. In their attempt to right everything as quick as possible they had forgot that detail. He couldn't be able to voice his conclusion though, as Hermione was already running towards his father, enfolding him in her arms.  


"Granger?" was the startled reply before Draco looked at Ron, smirking with an arched eyebrow. "Weasley why the hell is your crying broad in my arms ?"  


Hermione flinched as if hit and even more tears spilled down her face. She looked at one man and then the other, her gaze conflicted and confused. Ron seized her arm and dragged her away from her husband, who apparently wasn't her husband.  


She dislodged his hand herself and stepped back from all of them. Seeking help she turned to Harry who looked just as confused as her.  


"Hermione?" he asked calmly. "What exactly happened?" Harry kept his gaze on her, hoping for an explanation. Nobody had seen her this distraught without something having gone really wrong. Her hair was wild and the clothes she wore were old and looked like they had been washed and patched-up by magic too many times. She looked older and woren out, quiet different for the Hermione he had seen just days ago at the Platform 9 3/4.

Scorpius rose from his position next to Albus and stood next to Hermione patting her back awkwardly. "I fear that story is a long one."  


"What did you do this time Scorpius?" his father's ice cold voice asked, but Professor McGonagall stepped in just then.  


"The best would be that we all head back up to my office and for Miss Granger to have a tea." she offered and ushered them all back to Hogwarts. If anyone noticed she called Hermione by the wrong name, no one commented and Hermione was glad she had not been called Mrs. Weasley. That would have been to much for her at the same time. She couldn't even believe they all were still alive.  


"As for you two." the Headmistress looked at the two boys who had the insight to look sheepish. "I hope very much the two of you have a good explanation to make us all worry. Move along now."  


Hermione tried to understand the situation through what she knew from Scorpius while they walked towards the office. When they entered, she noticed that it still looked like she remembered it from many years ago. "So Granger, what's all this about, pray tell?"  


"Shut up, Draco!" she snarled at him and met his disbelieving gaze.  


His eyebrow rose and he tilted his head. "Draco? I can't remember being on first-name basis with you, Granger."  


Ron leaped to his feet and glared at him. "Don't talk to my wife like that, ferret." he snapped but Hermione ignored him.  


"Interesting." her gaze lingered sole on Draco "Emotional you are still seventeen."  


"Is this your way to tell me that you think me to be childish? Wasn't it you who pounced on me like a madwoman?  


Hermione sighed and looked past Draco towards his son. "I should have pondered on the situation a bit longer and leave it to Severus to fix it and this whole dilemma wouldn't be since he's dead, isn't he?"  


Scorpius forlornly looked at Hermione and shrugged. He was hopelessly overwhelmed by the situation. Albus nudging him all the time and trying to find out what had happened didn't help at all.  


"Severus?", McGonagall asked, attracting Hermione's attention. "What is going on Hermione?"


	2. A story that must be told

"I'll start from the beginning. Or at the very least, the one I know and can tell." Hermione sighed and tried to get comfortable on the chair Professor McGonagall had offered. She felt out of her depth with so many people around her. 

She was used to a small room and rare visits from others. But she knew how to explain things, once she had figured them out.

"By preventing Diggory from winning the Triwizard Tournament, with the help of their time turner, our sons changed my timeline to a different outcome than yours here."

Draco raised an eyebrow and Ron looked a bit confused when she said the children were hers too but they didn't interfere in her story.  


"Diggory joined You-Know-Who's forces after school. I can only assume that this is the turning point. At the battle of Hogwarts, Ron and me were held up by him on our way to the Chamber of Secrets. We needed one of the basilisk's teeth to destroy Nagini. Neville helped us get into the chamber, taking on Diggory alone. First we thought this was perfect and gathered what we needed." There was a short break at that point before she took a breath and continued while looking only at the Headmistress.

"When we came back up we found Neville lying in his own blood. I tried everything I knew about healing magic to help him, but it was to late. In our frenzy we didn't notice Nagini at first. She attacked Ron and hurt him bad enough to steal the teeth from him, while You-Know-Who announced Harry's death. I got Ron to the infirmary and rushed outside with Ginny. She had been there for a rather bad burning spell Bellatrix caught her with. We were just in time to see Hagrid. He had been carrying Harry's body towards us, followed by You-Know-Who, until he suddenly leaped up."  


"You always called him Voldemort Mione. The fear of a name increases the fear of the thing itself. It's what Dumbledore told us and you kept reminding me of." Harry whispered, dreading what twist this story was about to take, but his best friend shook her head and continued. They had yet to understood that this wasn't their Hermione in front of them. She had never been afraid of the name. She had provoked others after their victory to use it, fought tooth and nails against the fear.

"At first I thought we could still do it, with Harry still alive. I still had my own basilisk teeth and all I needed to do was to ram it into Nagini, I just needed to get close enough. But the damn snake was behind Harry already. She downed him and brought about the downfall. You-Know-Who used this advantage and shot one spell after another at Harry. I wasn't able to get to him and he couldn't win two fights at once. He was killed brutally, while we all watched, and then You-Know-Who used our state of shock to send his Death Eaters in to kill the rest of us. If it wasn't for Severus being one of us we all would have died there. After Hogwarts' walls fell, he took those of us he was fast enough to gather to an old bunker that was left over from the Second World War. He had everything planned out. There was a Fidelius Charm with him as our Secret's Keeper. Food, beds and as much comfort as the small rooms allowed. It was our base for decades while he kept spying and protecting us." Hermione took another deep breath before she continued.

"I spent most of the time alone. My job was to gather all information the others gave me and plan our attacks, to make it possible to win. Our numbers were slowly decreasing and Severus' visits were rare. Until one evening when he suddenly showed up with Draco. I tried to kill him that day. I nearly succeeded but Severus stopped me, and I was never more ashamed of myself. He was carrying the most beautiful and innocent thing in his arms I had seen in years. Astoria had given birth to Scorpius only a few hours earlier." Hermione looked at her adopted son with tears in her eyes. There was so much love there he felt a bit jealous of his other self. His parents loved him, no questions asked, but not this open and unconditional. It just wasn't done in the Malfoy Manor.

"I wasn't far from giving up then. It was him who anchored me and kept me sane. He even made Ginny smile before she died. Astoria was too fragile for the life of a Death Eater. She was shattered by the pressure she was under and death came as a release. That was the way Draco saw it." Hermione laughed joylessly.  
"It took him years to get to the point of accepting it. But that night, in blank despair, he told his father and the others his wife and his son had died and ran. All he wanted after her death was to keep Scorpius save, so he asked Severus for help. When Severus brought him to our headquarters and he saw me he nearly freaked. Understandable after my attempt to end his life. It Severus took one week to change his mind. He agreed to help us and left his son to me. At first it made planning easier. We had more informations, but we were few. They exterminated us like bugs. One by one. Severus and Draco protected us as much as they could."

"Ginny didn't handle Harry's death well. She poured herself into her work for the Order until she killed herself." Hermione had to clear her throat at that point. "Afterwards all Ron and George could think of was revenge. They were the only Weasley's left at that point. The rest had died at Hogwarts already.." 

"I think it was around five years ago when Lucius noticed something. I don't know what happened afterwards. Severus didn't tell me much. I can only imagine the horror that happened at the Malfoy Manor that night. Draco wasn't the Secret's Keeper so there was no way for him to tell them anything about our hiding place. But instead of just telling them that his son was alive and put himself out of his misery he remained resolutely silent. We always called him a coward in school and he even behaved like one getting older at first. But this once that idiot had to show backbone." Hermione hiccupped and blinked away her tears.

She ignored everyone around her beside Minerva, who's face showed her blank despair upon hearing what could have been. She only had a vague understanding what the young woman in front of her had to undergo and it was breaking her heart. This Hermione was so much different from the one she had seen not to long ago, it shocked her on a grand level. Minerva McGonagall had witnessed to horrors of two wars, stood beside a man who had once confessed to her that he had agreed with Grindelwald for many years, and had lived through the death of her dear brother and her husband. Still she never wanted to live the life the young woman in front of her had experienced.

"I was heavily pregnant at that time. That was the reason he was distracted and his father was able to sense something was off. It's my fault. His father tortured him for days. When he got no answers he decided to call in help. He left his son with the choice to talk or receive a Dementor's Kiss. He took the kiss. Just to protect us and keep us save. Lucius left his body at Azkaban to rot. No chance for me to see him again or say goodbye." Silent tears were running down Hermione's face. Scorpius, having heard only the short version until now, went to hug the older woman, while to others sat in mute shock. She wrapped her arms around him and wept.

Ron was the first to say something after a while:

"You were pregnant? With that git's child?" he pointed appalled at Malfoy. Like always he missed the point entirely. In many other situations his tactlessness would have been snickered about, but this time it felt simply wrong.

"I was married to him. So of course we had sex, and yes Ronald you can get pregnant by having sex." Hermione hurled defiance at him, looking at him with narrow eyes.

"I can't stop wondering why the hell I would ever marry you. Sometimes you say the stupidest things imaginable."

Malfoy next to her huffed and watched her, calculating "Instead you want to hoax me into believing I've got a second child?"


	3. Aquila Rose Malfoy

It was Scorpius who answered instead of Hermione. His voice was small and even a bit sad. "She had your eyes, father."

The prominent sneer dropped out of Malfoy's face, making him look vulnerable while he looked at his son: "She?"

"Aquila Rose Malfoy" Hermione whispered their daughter's name. She knew that she would never see her little girl again and it felt like a knife to her heart. She would have turned five soon. They never had much, but Hermione would have done anything to make it the best birthday a little girl could wish for. Severus would have gotten the gifts, Scorpius would have helped her charm the room and she would have baked Aquila's favourite lemon cake. Would have, could have, nothing like this would happen now.

Hermione clutched at something around her neck tightly, while she remembered her daughter's eyes, so much like her father's, just as Scorpius had pointed out. She had his pointed nose too, but made it look cute in her small face.

"I named her after the stars, like you asked me to. Keeping up the tradition, in honour of you mother." the first time since ending her story she looked straight into Draco's eyes. She could read him so well she mused. He was calculating what he had been told, but his eyes shined. Now he looked a lot more like her Draco than before. Still, he was different. He was confident, showing it in the way he sat upright. Moreover he didn't look crushed by his life, merely sad and tired. His clothing was tidy and expensive like always. His long hair was held back in a queue and everything about him screamed immaculate. She still liked him better dishelmed and sweaty, but she shouldn't think about it.

Hermione recalled to her mind that he had buried Astoria not so long ago. For her it had happened 15 years ago, but not for this Malfoy family here. As much as the two men resembled each other on the surface, they had faced different hardships through their lives, forming two different humans. They could never become the same being again. After loosing him, this was still better than never seeing him again, she decided.  
This time it was Harry that cleared his throat to gain Hermione's attention. When she looked at him he had to ask:

"Summed up this means you can't remember anything that happened the last 18 years?"

She didn't answer. There was no reason to. How would she be able to remember something that never happened for her. They both knew, but it was something different to acknowledge out loud.

"That's it! How am I supposed to explain this to the children Hermione? Care to tell me?" Ron exploded right into her face. Hermione's eyes grew wide before she sat up straight and her whole demeanour changed.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, for once in your life get your shit together and don't put your own problems first. You want me to simply forget I had a small daughter until a few hours ago, was fighting a hopeless war and move on? Just as if nothing happened? Put yourself in my place! Try to understand how I feel. My husband and daughter are gone. He" she pointed at Draco "looks like the love of my life but doesn't remember he loves me. My new husband was my best friend at school, that I cared about but don't have feelings for. My other best friend is suddenly alive again, after dying in front of me nearly twenty years ago, while the person who was my best friend for all that time died instead. And on top of it all you do is shout at me and tell me we have kids?"

Scorpius took a few steps back away from her side. While her tirade she had jumped up and now loomed over Ron.

Everyone watched the witch with wide eyes. They knew her as a calm woman, that rather kept silent and mulled everything over twice. Now she resembled her old self from school a lot more than anyone wanted to admit. And even then it had been rare to see her explode like this.

"Wow, what a wildcat your are Granger. I guess you still have your temper." Draco purred and leant back comfortable in his chair. He savoured the feeling of somebody else being the target of her ire. At school it always had been him. Of course he knew that his teasing comment could make her change her target, but he counted on her so called love for him.

He didn't reciprocate her feelings, but even if he would never admit it, it was benefiting his ego immense that a intelligent woman desired him. He wasn't a young man anymore and his sex life was inexistent since Astoria fell ill. He had loved her and wasn't one to stray. He watched Hermione from top to bottom when he saw the ring on her finger. The ring that had been on Astoria's hand when she had been cremated after her death. If she hadn't played with it, then he most likely wouldn't have noticed it at all. The uncomfortable feeling that Granger might truly had left behind a small girl to help his son settled into his gut and made him ill. He didn't want the feeling, it had been her decision after all, but the sense of guilt was still there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think of Hermione so far?  
> Did some minor edits on ch 1-3 to fix a small inaccuracy. May 2019


	4. Harry's fear

Harry seemed to have gotten to a similar conclusion as Draco about Hermione's story because he unleashed his furry at his son:

"As for you Albus Severus Potter, you are grounded until you are of age. You have absolute no idea what could have happened if it wasn't for Hermione." he simmered with rage and his clenched hands trembled.

Hermione's sacrifice showed him once more just how bad it was to lose one's child. He couldn't loose his own son to his stupid heroic trait, that had most likely been his own heritage. Ginny took his hand, gently stroking it to calm him down, but it didn't help. She tried to say something but Harry interrupted her:

"I told you again and again to stay away from Scorpius. Together you just put bees in each other's bonnet." Said son tried to take up as little space as possible on his chair, while he and Scorpius looked at each other. Draco meanwhile looked as confused as his own son at Harry's choice of words, both not acquainted with the muggle saying.

At that point Hermione had enough and let fly: "Harry James Potter!" focusing her anger on Harry. Seemingly this was the moment everyone needed to be reminded of their full name.

"You won't blame my son because your son is just like his dad. He's really a chip off you. This propensity to irresponsibility is something he got straight from you. Wouldn't be the first Potter to nearly get his friends killed, would he?" This time it was Harry that tried to curl up in his chair.  


Visible endeavoured to dissemble his excitement Draco made himself comfortable and watched the spectacle unfold. There was nothing better than watch lions go after each others throat. He was just a bit torn between amusement and awe.

"Dad and me are alike?" it came baffled from Albus direction and this time Draco couldn't hide his sniggering.

"Your father should have been called The-Boy-Who-Had-Unbelievable-Good-Luck" Draco joked but shut up when he saw the stern look Hermione shot his way. Happy she could still command respect from Draco, Hermione continued her own speech, back to glaring at Harry.

"And he should never forget that he's alive today because he had a lot of friends by his side. Helping him no matter how stupid his idea looked like. Damn Harry, even Aquila with her four years ordered Scorpius around. Don't confuse him and Draco just because they are family and look alike. As much as it pains me to admit, my son is a light-headed follower, not a leader. They are children with stupid ideas, just like us when we were in school."

Harry looked on the floor and nodded deliberately. Hermione was right. Ginny heaved a sigh of relieve and bowed her head towards Hermione in gratitude. Maybe she should give Harry a real telling-off more often. She knew his relationship with Albus had never been easy, but sometimes he positively overwhelmed his son. Harry had told her once that the Sorting Hat had wanted to sort him into Slytherin, but he had wished for Gryffindor so much that he got his wish. Why he was so hard on his son, who had ended up in the house, was clear but in her opinion still downright childish.  


"I'm sorry, I'm just so angry. I don't want anything to happen to my son. I couldn't live with myself if it did." Harry groaned and gave Albus a sad look, who sat speechless on his chair, looking at his dad with big eyes.

"And how do we fix this whole thing now? I would like to have my wife back. That has to be possible." Ron grumbled and looked at the Headmistress. He was never one to accept the easiest solution and rather went head first into trouble. A loyal friend to the end, but stubborn as a mule. Hermione knew there would be a fight waiting over her answer.

"No." her and Professor McGonagall answered at the same time.

"Therefor we would need to change the past again and again until we are back to the point were I met Scorpius and..." Hermione looked at McGonagall and went mute. It was way to risky to dare.

"One life is never worth enough to risk those of others. Take that to heart please." Hermione looked at Ron first and the two boys after: 

"There are to many what ifs in history. For example if Regulus Black hadn't died, he would have had a high chance to kill You-Kn... V-Voldemort. He had the horcruxes figured out years before everyone else. What if he had told his brother. What if Lily decided to stay friends with Severus, just because he didn't say that one ugly word. They could have made him their Secret's Keeper. What if Peter had died when he tried his animagus, he wasn't the brightest student out there after all. You see what I mean? To many what ifs. I will need to settle in. I spend the last two decades teaching my kids and working out useless strategies that killed my friends one after another. It's simply not a risk I'm willing to take."

Hermione reached absentmindly for Scorpius hand to calm herself.

"We are always in need of a Professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts. It's a curse to search for a new one each year. We even had curse breakers look all over the place, but couldn't find a reason why every Professor leaves after a year." Professor McGonagall offered an olive branch and Hermione smiled back in consent. It was something she could do while she searched for a way to make Ron's wish come true. Hogwarts may have a solution hidden in all the old books stored in the library.

For now she needed to know about the two children she had here. She hoped Ron would answer, because she could see how upset and angry he was about the dismiss of his demand.


	5. Finally getting divorced Dad?

There was a knock on the office door, while Hermione wanted to start asking her questions. Instead she sat back and watched the door open.  
"Mom? Dad? I was told you were at school. Did something happen?" a young girl stood in the door. She had the typical red Weasley hair, but Hermione's unruly curls. Ron just took one look at her and panicked.

"Rose listen for a moment. There was an accident and now we've got a problem with your Moms' memories. She can't remember you at the moment. It's going to be fine. We are fine. Don't worry Rose." Hermione could only shake her head in astonishment. How Ron was able to make a situation worse than it already was would forever stay a mystery for her. She watched the girls face switch from concerned to horror.

"What? Why? What did Albus and Scorpius do this time? This is my Mom, she can't simply forget me." Rose panicked and her gaze switched from her mother to her father and back. It was then that she noticed her mothers firm grip on Scorpius' hand while looking at her. It made her frown.

"And why does she hold Scorpius hand?"

"Just let it be Ron. It's not as if that stupid excuses would work on any daughter of mine. Even if she's a Weasley she got my brain, I can see it working."

Draco next to her chuckled: "Technically you are a Weasley too, Granger." he chaffed her. She only rolled her eyes in response, her answer a whisper only he could hear.

"Not for long, if I can change it. And then your excuse is gone." she smirked at him and his own smile froze on his face. She had made him uneasy a second time today. He wasn't used to her teasing him back openly, and even less that she could see right through him. This time she was the one who has the last laughter, while turning back towards the girl.

"I'm very sorry Rose. I really can't remember you, your father was right about the memory loss. Even if it's for other reasons than the one he offered." she nearly spat the word father.

Harry kept wondering just why Hermione seemed to hate Ron so badly. There had to be a bigger story behind this than she had let on in her narrative. She may still call him her best friend but as soon as something more was portrayed she went into denial. Her behaviour was so different from the one the Hermione he and the others had spent the last few years with, it was a bit off putting. She was missing the composure and the finesse her counterpart had displayed. Her wild hair and her temper resembled the girl he went to school with so many years ago. There was agony in her eyes, but when she looked at Draco the shadows vanished. She looked younger and in love. A lot like the Hermione he had seen at her own wedding. It was surreal to watch for Harry, because he mind kept telling him she looked at the wrong man, while his logic told him that Ron and Hermione were over years ago. They argued a lot and made up, most times because Hermione backed down. The few times it was about something really dear to her heart she ignored Ron until he gave up and came grovelling. They had made it work for the family, not for themselves.

"Does this mean you are finally getting divorced?" Rose floated her question and emphasised especially on the finally. Ron looked at his daughter in shock and opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out of it.

"Common Dad. Everyone knows you and Mom hadn't been happy with each other in years. Just watch the difference between the two of you and Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny. Even Hugo caught on to it years ago."

Hermione burst into a hearty laughter.

"She has Ginny's temperament." there where tears in here eyes now "So much like Aquila."

"Where is your brother, Rose?" Ron asked bugged. He hadn't seen Hermione laugh and cry that much in years and it occurred to him just how apart they had grown.

"He's not here dad, and I'm rather happy about it. Looks like she found herself a replacement for us rather soon too. He would be heartbroken to see her cuddling that snake. And who the hell is Aquila?"

"Young lady, watch your words. Don't just randomly blame others." Hermione hissed at the girl, ignoring her question. She just couldn't stand how everyone treated her boy.

"How could she be my mother? She might resemble her, but she is nothing like Mom." Hermione huffed uncharacteristically, enhancing the impression her daughter had. The girl stormed out and left Ron to look at Hermione in disbelief.

The Headmistress took this as her clue.

"I think it's best we leave Miss Granger to settle in for today and have a good night sleep before further talks. Up you go!" she commanded and started to usher the adults out of her office.

"The both of you will stay Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter." she stopped her students when they tried to follow Hermione to the door. "There are things we need to discuss about school rules. The ones that apply on you too, you know." She raised an eyebrow but beside it her face didn't change from her usual stoic.

Draco nodded towards his son and was the first to floo away.

"Would it hurt to say goodbye?" Hermione commented from the door after Draco was gone, unable to hear her. Scorpius shrugged and smiled at her, he was used to it.

Harry pat his son's back on his way out and Ginny hugged him to herself.

"We know you didn't want anything bad to happen." she kissed his forehead and followed her husband trough the Floo.

"Frilly" McGonagall called and a small House-elf appeared in her office.

"Please show Miss Granger to a room for guests. She will stay with us from today."

The two women nodded at each other and Hermione smiled at both boys before she left the room. They were in for a lecture they would remember for the rest of their life and a lot of detention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll let you wonder with Harry.
> 
> Any ideas what xould have happened? I've got it writen so feel free to have a guess. Kudos and Comments are love :)


	6. Saturn shines bright

That night the Astronomy Professor Luna Sprouse stood alone on top of the Astronomy Tower after her class had finished and was watching the waning moon when another planter caught her eye. Saturn, who had started to vanish in the late spring, was suddenly visible brightly on the horizon. A gasp left her mouth and a chill went down her spine. She narrowed her brown eyes on the planet, but it didn't dim, making her aware that something had happened. The stars were often used in old forms of Divination and ignoring such a sign would make a fool of her.

Still, for now there was nothing to do beside watch it for the next days. The stars would offer their secrets, but never to those who had no patience.  


The wind rustled her long light brown curls, the moonlight made it look blond at some spots, when she turned around and took the stairs towards her private chamber.

XxX

Ron met up with Hermione the next day, after she had spent the night settling into her new room at Hogwarts.

It was on the 3rd floor behind a drawing of a pair of boys, that hadn't wanted to let him in at first. He had to wait until Hermione opened the door from within to enter. The common room was a small space with a fire place, two chairs and a study desk. There was another door leading to a second room, he assumed would be her bedroom. The room itself was a mix of wooden inventory, green carpet and sunny yellow walls.

Ron felt uneasy after spending the night alone in his bed. From the dark circles under her eyes, that hadn't vanished, he saw she hadn't fared much better. He wanted to fix his marriage, but knew she would make it hard on him. The woman in front of him was so different from his smiling Hermione. She had always fixed everything after a disagreement. He hadn't been at his best the day before and maybe this time he would do some grovelling until she agreed to work it out together. Because that's what they did, had done for decades, work it out.

Still he would have never imagined that she would start the conversation with the words she did, right after he entered the room awkwardly.  


"I'm sorry Ronald, but I want to divorce you as soon as possible."

If it were physically possible his jaw would have hit the carpet on the ground of her room. Not even looking at him she continued breaking his heart, his plans shattering.

"From what I understand your marriage was falling apart long before I took your wife's place. But what's even more important: I'm not your wife. I always loved you as a dear friend and would like to get to know the man you have grown into, but I'm not your Hermione. I love my husband and my children."

She looked right into his eyes, unblinking and emotionless. There was nothing on her face beside the paleness and wrinkles he hadn't seen on his wife's face. She looked older than the 40 years she would turn soon. Ron was twenty years married to her, had spend nearly thirty years beside her, but the woman in front of him was a stranger. He didn't know why he was punished like this, maybe he had taken the easy way out to many times. Maybe he hadn't cherished his wife enough. There was no way to know why, but the reality was, he had lost his wife. He wanted to rage, scream but the woman in front of him just kept talking.

"It will take some time to adjust to having two different kids here without faking a marriage with you. And it will grant me the reason to switch my job if we fall apart. I promise you, I will grow to love your kids knowing they would be mine to if things had been different. Merlin, I don't even know what my job is here, just that I need to quit it. I will stay at Hogwarts for now and I hope you can send me some clothes and stuff here. I'm overwhelmed at the moment and will take Minerva's offer until everything about the divorce is sorted out. I'm so very sorry you losing her, I really am, but I can't change it without risking everyone else. Please don't blame my son. I'm at fault for ending up here. He didn't knew better."  
She had seen Ron's rage boil while she kept talking and now, when he finally had the chance to get a word into the conversation, he exploded. Mentioning her son again was the last straw for him.

"He is not your son. Hugo is. And nothing is fixed by saying you are sorry. That's what you always told me and our kids. Fine. Have your divorce. We've had it coming anyway. Looks like even the kids noticed. They both got your brain, tell them yourself. But don't come back complaining to me when you notice it was a mistake. It's not like that asserted husband of yours would take a mudblood like you in this timeline."

Hermione gasped and tears spilled from her eyes. Ron's face showed that he regretted what he said the second his left his mouth, but he turned around and exited the door without another word, all his hope turned to ash within a few minutes. He had to leave now, or risk making everything worse, if that was even possible.

"I see. You still have your temper. At least it didn't kill you in this timeline." she whispered to herself and dried her tears with her sleeve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does this qualify as Ron bashing? I hope not but I fear it is.  
> I like Ron, but not with Hermione so I made him a bit tempramental.


	7. Talk to me

The girl that was her daughter in this world came not long after Ron had left. Hermione didn't know if she had met her dad or if she was simply curious. Her red hair was braided and her eyes blazed a similar way Ron's did.

"You are not my Mom. I don't care what Dad said. Why would he care to protect an imposer? Who are you?" Hermione sighed and sat down. Of course any daughter of hers would see right trough an act like this. Hermione gave her the once-over and decided that she needed to answer a few questions, no matter how hard it was to look at the girl. At first she didn't see the similarities between Rose and herself, only the traits her new daughter shared with Aquila. With a little imagination she could envision an older Aquila in place of Rose. Hermione knew it wasn't healthy, but it was the way her brain kept from accepting the loss of her daughter. Gathering her courage and suppressing any lingering panic she began to explain what she could.

"My name is Hermione Jane Malfoy and yes you are right. I am not your mother, but I was the same girl your mother once was. At least until a certain point where our lives took different routes."

Rose's face showed her distaste when she heard the name.

"Why would any woman in her right mind marry into the Malfoy family?" she spat "That man is a Death Eater, a killer and his son is nothing but trouble. Scorpius is a Slytherin prat and dad told me you called him your son? Did he confund or imperius you?"

"Don't you dare talk like that about things you have no idea about. And stop with that stupid house prejudices. You should know better little girl." Hermione hissed through her teeth and received a shocked look. She knew she needed to get a better grip on her anger, but so many things here set her on edge. The way everyone looked at her, some speculating if she had lost it and the rest pitting her. Rose was placed in the first group and Hermione only wanted to get over with it as fast as possible.

"You really aren't my mother. She would have never lost her temper so easily. Just lucky you want to divorce Dad so we won't need to put up with you."

"There was a time when I had feelings for Ron, but we never worked. Confined on such a small place we were always arguing, he drove me crazy. So yes I married a Slytherin prat as you so eloquently put it. But one with a good heart, that did everything he could to protect his family and in the end, received a fate worse than death in doing so. I will not tell you the whole ugly story, as you are still a child, but war is never pleasant or nice. Yes, I'm a different woman from the one your mother grew into, but I had hoped we would try to get along. I see a lot from your father's traits in you, but was told you have my logical mind. You'll figure it out once you are over your anger."

Hermione got up and smiled sadly at the girl that looked too much like her, if it was not for the bright red hair. It was surreal and made her melancholic. But she was able to look past Roses' resemblance to Aquila and that made Hermione proud of herself.

"He called you a mudblood and bullied you for years. And then you went and married that Death Eater?" Rose shouted.

"So I am to bear a grudge for something that was beaten into him by his upbringing? He overcame what was told to him his whole life and changed to be a better man. While you sit here, still believing every bad things about Slytherin your father told you and are just as prejudicing towards his son as Draco was towards me?" looking the girl straight in the eyes she continued. "I was told my daughter was brilliant, so use your head. Do you dislike Scorpius because he's his father's son, or because of himself?"

"He's annoying and always so obvious. It's as if he wants to show the whole world that he loves me and that I belong to him."  
Hermione laughed.

"Sounds like a second James Potter to me."

"What does this have to do with James?"

"Harry's Dad, not his son. You should hear the stories how he swooned over Lily in the seventieths." Then she went back to being serious. "But I'm sure if you simply tell Scorpius in a level-headed conversation that you are not interested and that you want him to stop, he would. Without yelling or hate, just be sincere. Why did you never try that? You don't really want him to stop, do you? As much as you loathe it, don't you depend on it happening? It's hard to accept, but you might want to think about it. To be loved is a gift we should cherish, it always ends to soon."  
With that she walked towards the door and shut it silently after herself, giving Rose no chance to answer. She would come back later, after the girl cooled down and left, classes would start soon. For now she would visit the library and maybe the Headmistress. She was in dire need of company that didn't judge her.

 

XxX

 

"You can't keep ignoring me Scorpius." Albus told his friend at breakfast. Since leaving the Headmistress office the evening before, Scorpius hadn't looked at Albus nor had said a word. He had dropped into his bed and had been asleep within seconds. Albus on the other side of the room hadn't slept well at all. Nightmares about the story Aunt Hermione had told them kept waking him up every time he drifted off. Once he was awake he couldn't stop thinking about Delphi. She would be even more disappointed in him than his parents. He couldn't rescue Cedric for her and he lost the time turner on top of it. He wanted to talk to Scorpius about it but his friend was no help. Annoyed, he took a bite of his breed and glared at the blond boy next to him.

Scorpius was lost in his own thoughts while he ate. He had told Hermione, no Mrs. Weasley, or was it Miss Granger, about Albus' girlfriend when they met in the other timeline. He didn't trust Delphi and Albus was to love struck to notice something was off about the girl. Why would a young woman spend time with two 15 year old boys, if not to use them. She had send them on the mission after all, by talking Albus into it. Like a true Slytherin, she had used the complex Albus had about his heroic father and used it against him. To be cunning was a good trait, but only as long as it wasn't used selfishly. His Dad always told him to watch out who to trust and never snub the rest.

All Albus talked about the whole morning was how he failed both his family and Delphi. Once he stopped that he asked what Scorpius had seen, if he had met his namesake Severus and about his little sister Aquila. Scorpius didn't want to talk about any of it before he had it figured out. He needed to make sure Albus didn't risk their lives again, that his dad was happy again and show Rose what a great guy he was.

Standing up he took his stuff and shook his head. One step after another, for now they had class to attend and he had a best friend to take care of.

"Scorp!" Albus swallowed his food and ran after him. "Common mate talk to me."

"Alb" Scorpius groaned, but threw his arm around his friend.

"We'll work this out, I know it." Albus promised confident but got no answer as they made their way to Charms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole story is now betaed.  
> The lovely EvaFanFic made it possible with her hard work. Kudos to her.


	8. The Minister of Magic

Headmistress McGonagall had called in a staff meeting in the morning, telling everyone about Mrs Granger-Weasley's stay at Hogwarts and spun some tale about a magical accident involving the Minister of Magic that was to be kept secret. It would be left to Hermione to tell the truth to those she trusted. Professor Longbottom offered his support if any plants were needed and Professor Trelawney muttered about unbreakable curses, bad omens and hunting ghosts, but most of the professors simply accepted the fact and continued with their normal daily chatter as they went down to breakfast.

One professor didn't say anything, but her caramel eyes narrowed when she heard about the visitor. Professor Sprouse stood in the back of the room with her arms crossed and her nearly six feet towered over most of the other professors. Her high cheekbones, dark lashes and a small mole right under her left eye made her a good-looking woman by most standards. She had joined the staff the year before and was the youngest in their midst, but highly skilled in her field.

Having gone to school at Uagadou School of Magic after her family had fled Great Britain before Voldemort's second terror regime. She was skilled at wandless magic in a way others couldn't even manage with their wands. Still she taught a class that didn't use magic at all: Astronomy.  
Her father, Fabian Sprouse was a Half-blood from the Netherlands and had taken his family to Africa's safety, hiding them in Swaziland, now known as the Kingdom of Eswatini. They had lived in a small flat at Mbabane when she was a kid and life had been strange as the only blond and fair-skinned child, but she hadn't cared.

Her mother, Milena Selwyn, had made sure they fled, fearing for her family's life, when her own brother, a Death Eater, announced that the Dark Lord would be back. It had taken them a few years until they settled in but they were happy and so they hadn't left when the good news of Voldemort's final death reached them.

Her father's death three years ago, though, had changed it all. Her mother had begged her to move to England, to many memories were tied to Mbabane. She wanted to spend the rest of her life in the country in which she was born and still loved dearly. Luna had asked for a year to finish her Mastery in Astronomy and made it possible for them to move.  
That Professor Sinistra was then looking for a successor and had been a lucky providence, or it had been fate, only a matter of whom you asked.  
For now Professor Sprouse knew that something more was behind the Headmistress' story just by looking at the older woman.  
There was always the possibility that Saturn's sudden return was tied to this event, that at least was what her gut instinct told her, an instinct she trusted since she was a little girl.

 

xXx

 

After breakfast, the Headmistress was alone in her office until one of the portraits told her she had a guest waiting at the Gargoyle. Classes would start in a few minutes so she hoped it wasn't one of her professors or students, either would mean bad news.  
She settled herself into her chair and waited for the visitor to knock on her door.

"Come in."

The young witch she saw a few moments later made her smile. It was a pleasant surprise to see her this early.

"I hope you settled in well Hermione." she offered the chair opposite of hers and called for her House-elf as soon as the other woman had settled.

"Please bring some tea for us Frilly."

The small elf Hermione had already met the night before bowed and vanished with a small pop.

"Professor McGonagall please accept my apologies for yesterday." Hermione started and was happy to see the strict but loved professor of her childhood smile at her.

"Minerva, please. There's no need for formalities between us. I met your other self a lot since she was appointed as Minister of Magic. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

Hermione's eyes widened and her hand covered her mouth as she whispered a shocked denial.

"No! Please tell me I'm not the Minister of Magic in this world."

"No one told you?" Minerva was ashamed of her lack of tact, while Hermione shook at head in response.

"I shouldn't have assumed you knew, please accept my apologies."

There was an awkward silence between them while Hermione tried to sort out the chaos in her head this new revelation had caused. When the Headmistress had offered her the job as a professor yesterday she had thought she could take her up on it without further trouble, but now there was a lot to consider.

Minerva could see the fire in Hermione's eyes. The young woman was still as determined as she had known her. Give her a problem and she would do anything to solve it until it was. It was why she was such a good Minister of Magic. It would be a huge loss for the Magical community if she quit, but after seeing her in the state she had been in yesterday, she was more worried for the woman herself than for the government. She wanted her to have a second choice, so she had offered her a place in the school. Even if she don't take it Minerva would always have a soft spot for her old student.

"There is nothing to apologize for. I wasn't prepared for this news but I thank you for letting me know. I originally came to ask if I could take your offer to stay at school."

There was a steel in Hermione that hadn't been there before. She had always been strict but with a softer air to her. Minerva could see the influence her old college had on the young woman.

"You are welcome here any time Hermione. I already told the professors that you would stay for some time. There was nothing revelled about the reasons but a small reference to a magical accident. If you want me to acquaint you with them you are welcome to join us in the Staff Room or in the Great Hall whenever you want to."

"I would like that very much but I think I need a few days to get accustomed to larger groups."

Hermione didn't mention that she used more than one detour on her way here to avoid students in the halls. She had even hidden in a secret passage when a group of seven passed by her. It wasn't so much the students themselves but a panic she couldn't keep down once someone was behind her. Her constant fear they could attack her was as much frightening as it was annoying to her. It was like her imagination was at war with her logical mind.

"Understandable." Minerva stirred her tea that appeared on the table between them. "Sugar or milk?"

"Both please."

The rest of the time the woman kept away from darker themes and talked about the school and Minerva's life. As strange as it was, Minerva simply thought of her as an old friend who had spend the last twenty years aboard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lovely EvaFanFic has done an awesome work betaing all the chapters. Check them out of you want.


	9. Nightmares and hot chocolate

_  
She was save. There were strong arms around her, hugging her and pushing her against a warm naked chest. She recognized the smell and felt reassured to drift off again into the darkness. Something in the back of her mind kept nagging her, though. Something was wrong, someone was missing, but she ignored it by cuddling into the embrace. It was her escape from harsh reality._

_A hand was stroking her lovingly along her back and the second grabbed her bum. She felt a groan escape her and she tried to get closer to the sexy male, rubbing herself against him. She could feel how much he wanted her poking against her loin. Her hands started to wander down his body, memorizing every naked inch of it. She knew this body, this man, by heart but the name was lost on the tip of her tongue. His hand slipped for her back to her hips and further between her legs. She could feel him probing her gently and his lips teased her, nipping her throat. Heat gathered in her middle as she kissed him hungrily._

_Suddenly the arms were torn away from her and a small girl shouted her name. She opened her eyes but there was no light for her to see anything. The cry she had heard before came again but the darkness stayed, wrapping itself around her, making her feel as cold as ice._

_"You left her." a man's voice accused her. It sounded hurt and hateful. She knew his voice but couldn't remember who it was from. The knowledge was hidden, just out of her reach._

_"No!" Hermione answered weakly. "I would never leave her willingly."_

_"You left her!" this time he shouted right next to her ear and ..._

Hermione woke up in her bed in Hogwarts. Tears were streaming down her face. Yes she had left her behind. Her little girl she had promised him to protect. She alone was to blame for what had happened.

The nightmare had made his skin crawl and Hermione rubbed her face to centre herself to the present.

"No, no, no, no!" she whispered to herself and tried to keep away the panic attack that lingered at bay. Deep breaths through the mouth helped her ease it until she sat sweaty and shivering in her bed. It was still the middle of the night, but she knew she wouldn't fall back asleep anytime soon.

Maybe a trip to the kitchen was just what she needed. Wrapping herself in a warm nightgown that had been in the trunk Ron had sent her, she slipped into her shoes. She didn't want to overthink everything again. When she had gone to bed, she had made herself promise to tackle her problems after a full-sleep night and with a clear head. Now she had neither and it wouldn't help her to add the nightmare into her considerations.  
On her way down, she ran into a tall woman whose long hair went down to the floor in soft waves.

"I'm sorry!" Hermione offered and looked up at the professor. At least she supposed the woman was a professor.

"Good evening Minister Granger." offered a deep female voice that didn't sound tired at all, despise the late hour.

"Please call me Hermione. I don't care much for my title at the moment."

Of course she was reminded again that her ambitious self had gone for Minister of Magic to make the world a better place. She could already feel the headache reforming, just thinking about what it would cost her to quit that job again. It would be a nightmare and make things a little more complicated than she had planed. But there was nothing she could do about it now, in the middle of the night on a dark floor in Hogwarts.

Hermione tried to guess which Professor stood in front of her. Minerva had offered her to meet them all but after meeting Ron and his –not their– daughter today, she had been too exhausted to keep herself together in front of a large group.

Since she didn't knew if they had met before Hermione didn't dare to ask for a name, but the woman offered it anyway.

"Then please call me Luna. It's an honour to meet you, but I won't keep you from your task. Tuffle makes a wonderful hot chocolate. Good night Hermione, sleep well."

Blue robes billowed when the professor vanished into the dark corridor within seconds. The thought that Severus would have been proud of this struck Hermione before she realised that this witch knew that she was seeking the kitchen. Hermione didn't know if it was a good guess or if she gave it away somehow, her brain was to muddled to overthink it.

Later that night, she was thankful for the nightly encounter when Tuffle's lovely cup of hot chocolate helped her sleep peacefully.

 

XxX

 

Delphini stood next to a broad dark man, hidden by his cloak, her silver hair a stark contrast to his black attire. The house around them was old and rundown with no neighbourhood to speak of.

"These boys are useless. I haven't heard from them in days. Nothing changed. NOTHING!" she seethed. It had taken her years to get this far. Years of planning and involving herself into Diggory Sr.'s life. The prophecy was clear, all they had to do was make sure Cedric stayed alive, that shouldn't be hard.

"Never let others do your work if you want it done." she continued and looked into dark brown eyes.

"Delphi." the man beside her said in a deep, slightly raspy voice. He said nothing more, but there was no need. She became silent and he knew she was planning her next moves. Sometimes he could see her mother's rumoured craziness in her, but he would never call her out on it. Delphini Riddle was a calculating and intelligent but lonely woman. He understood her wish for a family and stood by her side when no other would. It was the least he could do for her, his life debt ensured it.


	10. Papers of Doom or Happiness?

A few days later, Hermione put down the Daily Prophet and tapped her finger in a steady beat against the table. It was already all over the paper, that the Minister of Magic was missing important meetings. She had sent an owl calling in sick on her second day here in Hogwarts, right after she had found out about her job, but that wouldn't do for long. She had to cut herself loose from her old life. Taking a quill and a parchment, she started writing to the Wizengamot to resign, she had delayed dealing with the outcome long enough, fearing she could regret her decision.

Maybe she seemed impulsive to an outsider, but there was a plan in motion for her. She knew it wasn't the smartest one, but she hadn't forever to figure out what to do.

She had only picked up the Prophet to see if news of her divorce petition had made it into publical knowledge. The owl had delivered it to Ron and the Ministry yesterday, but it looked like nothing transpired. The divorce hadn't been something she had to mull over for long at any rate.

 

XxX

 

Ronald Weasley was an impulsive man, a strategist if he kept his mind calm, and a father who loved his children. He would do nearly everything possible for them. Hermione had been a good mother, but with the long working hours at the ministry and the strain her post had put on her, the children had always come to him with small problems and every day questions.

After the blowup at Hogwarts, he had taken out his anger on the new developments he and George had been working on for the joke shop until he'd felt something like normality again. Of course Hermione had had to send the papers right when he felt a bit better and was working on a strategy to show her how much her family needed her. It had nearly caused a second blowup, but this time he had been able to stop himself.

Maybe his daughter was right and they needed some time separated to look at their relationship like an outsider would, with an objective look. He could see now how the constant bickering would disturb the children. It was something he wanted to work on, his children deserved a good childhood and their parents were supposed to have that in mind.

It still didn't change the fact that he had divorce papers on his table at home, that he needed to explain his children their mother wouldn't be home in the winter break and that his mood was constantly bad for nearly a week. He still had work to do and a brooding man wasn't what a joke shop needed.

George took care of the costumers after he sent Ron back to theback of the store, where he was out of sight. He hadn't asked what was wrong the last few days nor had he been to goofy once he was around Ron and it was something Ron was more than grateful for. While storing the store, he had more than enough time to ponder his options.

 

XxX

 

Hermione met up with Harry at 12 Grimmauld Place after finishing her letter. He had sent an invitation the second day of her stay at Hogwarts. She knew she needed to take a few days to prepare meeting him mentally. Between stopping herself from hexing everything that upset her, her nightmares, her husband and her daughter, she had needed to calm down first. To settle into a life without war was her dream come true, but it was hard the way it happened. She had come to terms with the life in hiding, the loved ones she had lost and the joy of raising her children. To be thrown into a place were everything she knew and loved was out of her reach made her feel hamstrung. Only now that her plan was set in motion she felt like she could face Harry.

When she first entered the old house, she was in awe. It had changed a lot since the days of war and the time it was used as a headquarter for the Order of Phoenix. Harry and Ginny had successfully made it into a welcoming home. The walls were coloured in light orange, making the entry look bright and cosy. The old dark wood was freshly stained and there was no shouting upon her entry.

"How did you get rid of Mrs. Black?" she asked looking at a big family portrait of the Potters instead of the old curtains that had hidden the screaming lady.

"Don't ask. It was an odyssey. I had to ask someone from the Department of Mysteries for help in the end. When Ginny was pregnant the first time she had a screaming match with Mrs. Black, and I knew she had to go. Fast!" Harry remembered and shuddered. He drove her into the kitchen and offered tea when they sat down to talk. The kitchen was modern and Hermione saw some muggle inventions standing around like a mixer. The tiles were a muted white and harmonized with the wooden colours that continued from the hall to this room.

"There are so many things I want to ask you, but I fear to bring up bad memories. So please tell me if you are uncomfortable in any way Hermione." he started, looking at her. There was something he had to get of his chest, but it was for her ears alone, so he had asked Ginny to spend the day somewhere else. His beautiful wife had been furious at first but she understood him and was visiting her mother now, only a Floo call away should he need her afterwards.

"I'm sorry for dying and leaving you behind. And I'm even more sorry for my idiotic son to have messed up your life so badly. To hear your story frightened me to a degree, and made me thankful all the more. Voldemort must have been after you, if you planned all the coups and I know you being you, that you hit them hard."


	11. Struggling parent

"He believed me to be dead." Hermione interposed. She felt bad to have Harry apologise for something he had no hand in and that he blamed his own son. You-Know-Who killed him, but to see him and everyone else alive was what mattered to her.

"It's a long story I'd rather cut short because I hate what Draco had to do for me. He killed someone... Someone that was polyjuced as me and showed that memory to Vol... Voldemort. He had no reason to believe betrayal from Draco at that point and was more than happy to have me out of his way. I was the last part of the Golden Trio alive back then, and the last known Order member. That was around the first part of my pregnancy. I wasn't able to leave the underground vault since then, but until then I was a main target, that's right. One of the reasons the others wouldn't let me leave the hideout even before. I don't want to lie Harry, it was lonely most of the time. Even with Scorpius and later Aquila around, I lived for the moments when one of the other adults was with me." Hermione explained, smiling at her old friend.

It was as if no time had passed since school. She just had to tell her head to shut up, as it kept telling her she was turning mad, talking to a ghost, while she logically knew he was very much alive. Memories arose, of his dead body on the ground, of the snake attacking him from behind. She fought against them, knowing she would relive the moments in her dreams tonight. Not that she slept much anyway. It took a lot energy to stay in the present, but it was a fight Hermione was determined to win.

"There is no reason for you to be sorry Harry. It wasn't your son, but me who messed up. I should be non-existent. I took the place of the person who should be rightfully here. A Hermione that was loved by every one of you. If someone has to apologise it's me. There are reasons time turners shouldn't be able to go back more than a few hours. The paradox I created with turning up here is bad enough. I hope you agree to destroy the device, it's dangerous. I know Ron hoped to get his Hermione back, but we can't risk it Harry. I spend hours in the library and the restricted section the last few days. Nothing good can come out of it."

Hermione plead with him but he gave her no answer and she saw how torn he was about what she asked of him. For now she kept the time turner safe, always having it with her, but she wouldn't tell him until she knew he agreed with her. Switching the topic, she continued.

"Scorpius mentioned there was a young woman with them, encouraging them. We need to find more about her, I only remember small bits but I think Scorpius said she is Albus' girlfriend. I got a bad feeling about her. The way Scorpius mentioned her showed he didn't trust her or her influence on Albus."

"I'll ask Albus. But to be true I don't think he'll be too open about it. We aren't on best terms and I said some things to him..." Harry had to admit. Ginny knew and always encouraged him to change it, but it was hard. Albus reminded him a lot of himself at that age, making it hard to get through his stubbornness. The way his son taunted him, he just snapped. There was no way to keep his temper in check as much as he tried.

"Yes, I noticed." was the rather sly answer of the witch in front of him. "He reminds me of someone. Just give him space like Ron and I did when you were the idiotic kid."

"Hermione." Harry cringed when she threw his own words back at him. She didn't knew the struggles he had with his son and his first thought was that she should stay out of it. Still she was his friend and as such she would always scold him, be he eleven or forty, it was who Hermione was.

"Then don't talk like this about your son. He deserves his dad to understand him even if it's hard sometimes. I know you love your son but he needs to know, not me. He's a teenager Harry."

They smiled at each other but neither smile was a happy one. Hermione had nothing more to say about the topic and Harry bit his tongue to keep his snappish reply to himself.

She hadn't told him anything new, as it was a common argument between him and Ginny. It bothered him how all the woman in his life berated him for his relationship with Albus when he was the first to know that it sucked. He did feel bad about it after all, but it wasn't something be could fix while his son was in school. He wasn't even sure if it would be fixed any time soon, as he was still angry about what happened to Hermione.

It didn't matter what she said, his son was involved. The news about a girlfriend didn't make it any better. If it was really true, that she had been the one to make his son do something as stupid as he did, Harry didn't want her near his son. All he ever wanted was for his family to be safe and happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone read the comments they noticed we discussed Harry's behavior quiet a lot there. I expanded this chapter into two because I wanted some insight why he did it. I based it on his comments in HP8 and talked a bit to another mother who struggles a lot with her oldest daughter.


	12. Midwife Snape

"Can you tell me who we lost in this world? With nearly everyone I knew dead, it would be nice to know. I don't want to cry every time I see someone I believed dead. Minerva talked to me a lot but we kept to normal everyday life so I didn't want to ask her."

The question was important to her and Hermione had build up the courage to ask it since she stepped into the house.

"We lost Fred, Snape, Tonks and Lupin at the battle of Hogwarts. A lot of Death Eaters and even a few students died, Lavender and Colin among them. But compared to what you lost we were lucky." Harry answered her, suddenly pulled out of his thoughts.

Hermione pondered the answer a few seconds until she continued.

"Yes, I guess. I miss him. Severus I mean. Does anyone know what happened to his daughter?"

"A daughter ? Are you sure Hermione?" Harry asked, his eyes glittering, nearly choking on surprise. He still worshipped his old Professor for what he had done for him. Maybe Snape had been a greasy dungeon bat but without him they would have been lost. Harry still regretted never having told Snape thank you because they couldn't rescue him.

"Yes. Severus hid her, but the Dark Lord wasn't interested in her mostly. She's a Squib. Or was. When Severus angered the Dark Lord again and again after the battle at Hogwarts he had to watch her being tortured to death for his constant failing in finding out where the Order was hiding. Ironic, isn't it? Another person he loved that died for the greater good. He was like a father to me. A sarcastic and strict one, but still a father. And a great grandfather for the kids. If it hadn't been for him, I'm sure Aquila's delivery wouldn't have been so pleasant. He took care of everything."

Hermione giggled remembering that night. Labour was hard on the body but now, years later, she only remembered the good parts. Memory was really faulty sometimes, especially if hormones were added into the mix, she knew that now.

"They had a special bond after that."

There was a big smile on Hermione's face while she momentary forgot all the bad things and remembered her small baby in the arms of one Severus Snape. His stricken look the first time he held her that morphed back into his normal sneer when she started crying.

"But he never really recovered from having to deliver a child. Took him months to be able to look at me again."

"Snape delivered a child. What a crazy world." There was a small laugh, then Harry was serious again.

"If you want I can look into it. See if she's still alive here."

"Don't Harry. Let sleeping dogs lie. I don't even know her surname. I guess I just miss Severus a lot. I can't get my head around the fact that he's dead."

"If you want we can visit his grave." he offered and got a smile in response.

"I would love to. Thank you."

Maybe it wasn't the best moment to bring the topic up but sometimes Harry spoke first and thought later.

"What I can't get my head around is this aversion you have for Ron. Did something happen between the two of you?"

The way Hermione closed down and her smile vanished from her face Harry knew he wouldn't get the answer he was hoping for.

"He's just Ron. You know he doesn't react well under pressure. I forgave him for the stunt he pulled on us in the woods, but for me that wasn't the only time he left me. I love him Harry, but the trust was lost long ago. I'll take time to come to term with this new Ron. It's easier with you, since we only need to catch up. "

"You'll need to come to work soon too Hermione, to catch up." Harry reminded her, but she shook her head.

"I stand by my decision Harry, just as I told Ron. I'm sure he told you about his visit. This job isn't for me. I'll resign as soon as the papers arrive. The Ministry is already informed, but I'm sure keeps it under wraps until it's official with all signatures."

They remained silent afterwards, both lost in their thoughts. Harry tried to understand what this version of his friend had been through. He had taken the last few days to mull over what she told them the first evening they had met and tried not to judge her. With what he knew now he was glad he had given her the possibility to explain it to him.

Still his conscience was nagging at him, telling him it was his fault. He hadn't kept his son from the bad influence around him. While he wanted to continue to blame it all in his son's best friend he knew it wasn't fair. Draco had asked him to help them years ago and he had denied his old school nemesis something that could have been easily given. He was the one who drove his son away. Harry wasn't yet ready to accept it, but deep down he knew, it was his fault. His fault Cedric Diggory and Severus Snape died, his fault his son felt unloved, his fault Ron lost his wife.

Hermione bid her farewell while Harry was still lost in thoughts and apparated back to Hogsmeade. She needed to be alone to get her feelings under control again. She didn't want her friend to see how upset she really was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm late.  
> But I'm in London!  
> I tried to lighten up the mood in between a bit. Let me know if I was able to make you laugh.  
> Have a great weekend everyone, I know I will. ;)


	13. Dinner at Weasley's

It was the normal family dinner at Weasley's as every Friday. The younger kids were at school and the graduated had joined them, sitting on their end of the table. After having been rebuilt, the Burrow hadn't lost his old charm, Molly had made sure of it. Maybe it needed a bit less magic to stand and wasn't a strange mix from the outside anymore, but the inside was still cluttered and welcoming. There was place for every member of their big family, by blood or adopted, no matter who came over.

 

Still, today was different in many aspects. Ron sat alone –Hermione's place was deserted– and didn't look at his family at all, while Teddy tried to cheer him up, not yet knowing that something had happened. Harry and Ginny watched the youngest brother with concern and were also rather quiet.

 

Teddy and Victoire's wedding had been the main topic for the last few weeks and Molly was thrilled to see it happening next Easter. They had chosen the holidays to have everyone at home on their special day. The wedding would take place outside the Burrow, Fleur had made sure of it. She wanted her daughter to have the dream wedding the Death Eaters had denied her over twenty years ago.

 

"I haven't seen Hermione at all since last week Ron. There were some nasty rumours in the daily prophet the last few days. Apparently she missed some important parliament sessions. Please make sure she doesn't overwork herself." Molly directed at her brooding son.

 

Family came first in her opinion and Ron and Hermione had drifted to far apart the last few years. She respected her daughter-in-law for her decision to work at the Ministry. There was a certain pride when she told others that the Minister of Magic was part of her family after all. But they needed to work together, so she reminded her youngest son from time to time. Mostly he just agreed with a nod and that was it, but today his pain-filled gaze met her eyes.

 

"Maybe you should talk to Harry if you want any answers mum. Since it was his son who decided to make sure that Hermione would finally divorce me, as our lovely daughter put it. Together with that spawn of a ferret he calls his best friend they successfully destroyed what was left of my marriage. Obviously it wasn't that much!"

 

Ron slammed his hand on the table and stood up. He stalked out of the room and there was a loud crack when he disapparated outside. Everyone at the table was shocked to silence.

 

"How dare he!" Ginny was the first to break the quiet. Her red hair crackled around her head. She knew where Ron had gone and was hot on his heals, when Harry grabbed her hand and held her back. Ron had hit home with his sharp and hurtful comment and Harry felt the responsibility weigh him down again. He hadn't talked to Ginny about it yet, dodging the conversation at every turn since the evening he had spend with Hermione. Ginny had found him still sitting at the table that evening when she came home, but he hadn't even welcomed her.

 

"Give him some time Ginny." he whispered shaking his head. Molly watched the interaction altered. Something bad had happened and she wanted to know what. No one hurt her family.

 

"What does this mean?" she asked and tried to hold back her own anger. Her daughter and herself were very alike in that aspect.

 

Harry knew he had to explain but he didn't want anyone to know about the time turner. The Ministry would have his head if it got out. There were to many people at the table to tell the truth and what had happened to make Hermione decide on a divorce wasn't his story to tell. He groaned and stayed as close to the truth as he could.

 

"Albus and Scorpius botched a few things up at school last week. Hermione tried to help them but Ron reacted badly. They had a screaming match at school that ended in Hermione declaring she had enough and would divorce Ron. To be true it was Rose that started the talk about divorce and Hermione simply went with it. You know Hermione, once she's set on a path she goes through with it. Ron had the papers on his table yesterday."

 

The kids looked at each other and gulped. Maybe their aunt and uncle were fighting a lot but in their eyes they belonged to each other. They had never thought about them splitting up or what it would mean for the family.

 

"Hermione stays at Hogwarts for now and decided to step down from her tenure." Harry explained to the whole table and looked at his wife for reassurance. Their hands were still linked.

 

"It must have hurt her a lot, I haven't seen her at the ministry at all." Percy worked close to Hermione and had already wondered what could have happened to his superior. His co-workers had asked him too but he had only avoided them, not able to answer the questions about his sister-in-law.  
"But she fought for it for years !" Molly argued, not believing what she heard.

 

"She would never give up on her job, even less on Ron!" There were tears in Molly's eyes. She needed to talk to her son, he had to do something. Hermione was a woman of logic, she would relent. Her son only had to apologize honestly, even if he was unapologetic at the moment. Little did she know that in his anger Ron had signed these papers and sent them back to the Ministry the moment he had apparated home.

 

The rest of the dinner was a grave affair. Nobody talked much, while both Molly and Ginny were seething on their own. Harry was lost in his own thoughts and the kids felt uneasy with what had just passed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a great time in London, so I can't say I'm too sorry I'm late.  
> We finally meet Molly and up to now she was the hardest to write.   
> I got told Hermione was "occ trash" a few days ago. Harsh words, but in the end I'm kind of happy, because that anonym person showed me that the way Hermione acts is strange, which is what I went for. Did I want to go for trash? No! I'm sad someone feels like that, but at the same time I don't like every fanfiction out there.   
> For me it means I'll spend more time with the chapter that explains what happened, because I hope to make it understandable. Until next time :)
> 
> You like something, want to read more about someone, hated how I portray a certain character? Review and let me know.


	14. Hugo, the forgotten boy

Hermione smiled when she saw Scorpius and Albus entering the library together. The last looked rather unhappy as they sat down after gathering some books. Hermione couldn't see what they were working on, but by the shelves she had seen them at, she would guess it was History of Magic. It was the first time she saw them since the accident a little less than a week earlier. It was hard for her to believe it wasn't even two week since she ended up in this timeline. It felt like a lifetime while it went by in the blink of an eye.

She had gotten an Howler from Molly during the weekend and a short letter from Ginny too. While hearing Molly's voice had made her cry more than the accusations, Ginny's letter was one she held dear. They hadn't seen each other when she visited Harry last week, and they hadn't talked much at the Headmistress' office. So it felt even more special that her best friend came to her defence before they got to know each other. Some things never changed and Hermione was glad to know that her friendship with Ginny Weasley was one of them. She had written back right away and was hoping to get an answer soon.

Molly's sermon on putting family first had hurt her more than anything else, because for Hermione it was the reason of the divorce. It would be hard to explain to the older woman, for she surmised that whoever explained thesituation to the matriarch had left out everything about the time travel.

Nonetheless, she believed that she could explain everything to Molly after she had cooled down. Remembering what Harry had told her about Fred's death, she was sure the other mother would understand her.

After leaving her daughter Rose in her room alone a few days ago, she hadn't seen her again. Hermione knew she had been harsh on the child, but hearing her talk about Scorpius had triggered the mother in her. Afterwards, when she remembered that she was Rose's mother too she had felt bad for snapping at the girl. Still she meant what she told her and Hermione had always voiced her opinion loud and clear. Her whole life she had always rubbed someone else the wrong way, but she had never regretted living that way. Rose would either come around or not, it was her own decision.

Her son, Hugo she believed was his name, was also in the library from time to time, if the brown haired small boy was who she believed him to be. He never approached her and it was only after his friend had called out for him a little too loud that she'd known it was her boy, remembering Ron telling her the same name. He was a sweet and hardworking small first year, reminding her of herself a lot. He sat alone in a corner of the library most of the time, poring over books, but she had seen his friends fetching him from time to time so she knew he was fine.

She had promised herself she would be there for them and would get to know them if they wanted to, but she wouldn't burden them with the mess her life was if they stayed away.

XxX

Scorpius looked at Mrs. Granger-Weasley while she was lost in her thoughts. He was uncertain of how to react towards her. He knew she remembered him growing up, teaching him and taking care of him, but it wasn't him. Still he had felt safe with her, trusted her instantly and simply knew she would do anything for him. But talking to her would let others see that something was off, and he was a Slytherin.

He hadn't had the courage to visit her quarters yet, but had known where they were located for a few days already. He had also received a letter from his father to arrange a meeting between him and Mrs. Granger. Scorpius had nearly laughed when he had seen his father call her by her maiden name. Maybe there was some chemistry after all. His grandfather would be pissed off if they hooked up, but Scorpius kept his fingers crossed for Hermione. If he could wish for a second mother, it would be a woman as sweet and loving as her, just maybe not with as much emotional burden.

He knew he would need to talk to her soon, but not here and now while Hugo, hidden between bookshelves, watched his mother's every move. He had seen the hurt on the boy's face when Mrs Granger-Weasley had greeted him with a smile, but ignored her own son.

He felt sorry for the small first year and hadn't he been in Slytherin he might have taken him under his wing to explain everything. But given the bad reputation Scorpius had, even in his own house, he stayed away from the others, especially those of the other houses.

XxX

"I want you to find out why the boy isn't answering Crow. I had to write another letter today and was ignored again!" Delphi announced when the dark man entered the room. His clothes and the bad light hid him well but he was dripping wet, indicating he came from outside, where a downpour made the world look dark and gloomy. It wasn't cold enough here to make it snow even thought November had just begun.

"Sure." the answer was barley audible, but she heard it anyway, giving a curd nod when she picked up her cutlery and continued eating. She already knew he wouldn't stay now that she had given an order. A soft klick announced his departure and Delphi was pleased to know she would have her answer soon.

Since she had met Crow all these years ago, he was the only person she'd grown to trust enough to send him out to do her dirty work. As a Death Eater's child, his childhood had been spent in the very same hellhole they had thrown her in. He'd never learned more than the basic magic because they were afraid of him. An outcast between the outcast, he was beaten up and locked in when she found him. He was a little older than her and with her help was a skilled wizard now. She would dispose of him once this mission was done, since he knew too much, but it won't matter once her parents get back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Friday!  
> I need to thank every single one of you out there. I started publishing this story when I had written around 15 000 words. Back than that was a lot for me. This is my first series and I noticed just how much you guys inspire me. With your comments you give me ideas and your critics drive me to be even better.  
> Thank you for reading my story!


	15. Bad news

The sunset was beautiful. The sky was coloured of light blue with a few clouds that reflected the setting sun in various shades from bright yellow to deep purple.

In a tree in the Courtyard sat a single black crow nobody was noticing. It wasn't a rare occurrence by any standard to see one near Hogwarts. Maybe it was a little closer to humans than a normal crow would feel safe to be, and maybe it was a bit strange to see it alone, but it didn't attract attention.

The Crow wasn't interested in the beauty of the sunset behind him, he didn't even notice it. He was on the qui vive for two stupid teenager boys, listening to the chatter between students to gain any helpful informations. He couldn't enter Hogwarts while it was still bright but he had no problem watching.

He waited until deep into the night, and only then, moved for the first time that. Flying to the ground he noticed a motion out of the corner of his eye, nearly a second to late. Still hidden in his animagus form, he turned towards a tall brunette woman. She smiled at him and placed a few nuts and meat on the ground before she vanished as fast as she had come, without a word. Rigid and still, he waited to see if she was gone for good before he looked at her offering and picked it up with his beak, sceptical. He was hungry and there was no reason for this food to go to waste if it wasn't poisoned, but he looked at it longer than a few seconds, until he decided it was fine and ate it.

He didn't transform back into his human body that night to explore Hogwarts, as the risk was to high after someone had noticed his animal form. A normal crow wouldn't fly away at night so all he could do was to stay and continue watching and listening. The boys would need to cross the Courtyard sooner or later.

 

XxX

 

"She's bad news Alb, can't you see?" Scorpius plead with his friend again but Albus just shook his head. They both knew the argument would continue forever because they were both too stubborn. Scorpius stood up with the swift grace his father had thought him since he was a small boy and vanished into the bathroom. Albus grabbed his blanket and went to sleep, tired from arguing with his best friend again and again, holding the letter he had received earlier today close his chest, the one that had restarted the whole arguing.

In the bathroom, Scorpius decided, while brushing his teeth, that he would do as planed and talk to Miss Granger tomorrow before breakfast. After the second letter from his father had come in, he had started to call her by her maiden name in his head, like his father did. He wanted to accomplish something and Albus was a lost cause for now. He wouldn't give up of course, but it was the smartest move to retreat for now. He needed to show it to Albus, else he would never see his point.

 

XxX

 

Scorpius hurried through Hogwarts early in the morning while most of his peers were deep asleep in their beds and the only thing alive in the old castle were the birds and maybe a pet or two. He hoped Miss Granger was awake yet when he knocked at her door.

When the knock sounded, Hermione rubbed her tired eyes and stood up. She took a few seconds to collect herself and cast a Glamour on her global appearance to erase the tiredness on her face. Whoever was at her door didn't need to know she hadn't slept most of the night and had rather hovered over a book she had acquired the day before. After all these years, it was still her safe haven if she was feeling insecure. And if she didn't know everything about something she needed, she was always feeling insecure. She liked to have all the facts to make a decision. There were rarely things she decided on a gut feeling like Ron and Harry always did it. Things like quitting her job as Minister of Magic or divorcing her husband.

She winced when she remembered just how many of her decisions the last few days had been made without having all facts, even if she didn't regret them. So she had done the thing she always did and buried herself in books since she came here and had access to the library.

She knew the history of the last twenty years by heart now and had also read up on Ginny's publications. She knew how every single child born to her friends and family was called and how she managed to make her way towards Minister of Magic. What she didn't know was why she was so emotional all the time or how she could right the wrong that was done by coming here and replacing the woman who had lived those years.

Opening the door she looked into a well known face and a smile spread on her tired face.

"Scorpius." she greeted him and wanted to hug him but remembered just a few seconds later that he wasn't her son in this world. Straightening herself, she stepped aside and suggested him to come inside.

The room wasn't what he had expected it to be but the mismatched colours that greeted him were soothing and the room looked like home. Still, he had never in his life seen different shades of green, yellow and brown mixed together like this.

"Thank you for letting me in Miss Granger. I'm sorry to disturb you this early." he bowed before her, acting like the gentleman his parents had tried to bring him up to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The weekend is nearly over but school started again for my beta Eva last week and she nedded the weekend to vanish my mistakes.  
> We might switch to publish sundays to give her the time she needs. Cause as far as I remember school was a pain in the ass. Lucky I haven't been there for years.


	16. The letter

Albus checked the letter he wanted to send to Delphi again. He had finally gathered the courage the answer her. Her last letter had made him feel so guilty for ignoring her. He knew Scorpius was against the idea of writing back, they had discussed it more than once, but he was sure his friend was only jealous he had a girl while Rose ignored him. He felt good finally having someone like her. She trusted him, believed in him and he was sure she would understand it wasn't his fault.

Within his family, he was an outsider. His mom loved him, he was sure, but she wasn't someone he talked to a lot. His father was a hero everyone looked up to, but was to caught up in the past to understand him. All the old man ever talked about was himself. James and Lily were close and since joining Hogwarts, it looked like they had forgotten about their third sibling.

He had only one friend, and his father hated Scorpius, always telling him to search for new friends, so they could never spend any time with together outside of school, and now it looked like even Scorpius was against him.

When he woke up, Scorpius was gone and hadn't even left a note behind. Asking his two other roommates they had sneered at him and told him to mind his own business. They never cared to much for sharing a room with him and Scorp. Sometimes he wondered how it would feel to be a real Slytherin. All the other Slytherins banded together so tight they were like a family. If someone of another house, like his brother and friends, played a prank on them they repayed it fully. Be it a small first year or the Quidditch Captain didn't matter, no one was allowed to harm a fellow Slytherin.

That was beside him or Scorp. Rumoured to be the spawn of ultimate devil, Scorpius was hated even more in his own house than Albus, the changeling of the Gryffindor hero. Both of them learned early on how to stay out of everyone's way.

To have Delphi by his side made everything endurable. He told her he couldn't meet her at the moment because he had some problems at school, but told her not to worry. He would contact her as soon as it was possible. He knew better than to write anything of importance into his letter. Now he only had to go to the Owlery before breakfast and send it and he knew he would feel better. The guilt he had felt over ignoring her would finally be gone and until they meet again, he would certainly find a way to explain everything.

 

XxX

 

Watching the boy hurrying towards the Owlery, Crow followed him in the air. Once he had made sure the letter was addressed to Delphi, his job here was done. He hadn't thought it would be this easy, but all the better.

There were to many people gathered at this school for his liking. He liked his solitude and the silence that came with it. While he didn't care if he stayed in his human or his animagus form, he liked to eat his food cooked. To many times rats and bugs had been all he ever got to eat while he was a child.

Watching from a safe distance, Crow saw the boy giving the letter to a school owl, not his own, and telling it to fly towards Delphi. Satisfied, he followed the owl towards the only house and person he had ever called a home.

 

XxX

 

Scorpius left Hermione's rooms shortly before the lessons started. They had eaten a small breakfast together and talked a bit.

He had been polite, acted like an adult, but had never taken her up on her offer to call her by her first name.

She hadn't found out much about his life here, as he had evaded most of her questions and tried to get her to talk about herself more. She hadn't known what he had been up to until he had passed on his father's invitation. If one wanted to call in an invitation and not a summon.

He had asked her to send an owl with a date she would be able to meet his father to him so he could refer it.

It was just like Draco. Never asking himself, but getting others to do his bidding, even his own son. Like that he never had to deal with rejection, because his messenger made sure he got what he wanted.

She had noticed more than once that Scorpius had wanted to ask a question but thought better of it. Trying to pry it from him hadn't worked at all and she hated to see the sad smile he send her every time she had tried. He should be happy in this world. Even if he didn't know her and would never see her as a motherly figure, she still wanted the best for him.

As for meeting Draco it was a welcomed opportunity. Knowing she would be able to see him again was something she hadn't hoped for the last four years. Not after Severus had told her of Lucius' actions.

When she first heard that Bellatrix was dead she had been relieved beyond measure, just to find out that the second figure of her nightmares was still very much alive and roamed the world freely. Reading about him in the Daily Prophet had given her the chill, but she was determined to stay far away from him. As far as she was concerned they would never need to meet again, because she didn't know what she would do if he said or did the wrong thing in her presence.

Instead of writing to Scorpius for Draco she sat down to answer Ginny's newest letter to set up a date in Diagon Alley. Before she did anything else, she wanted to meet her old friend. She hoped it would help her to sort her thoughts.


	17. Herbology

Chapter 17 - Herbology

"So you are still alive?" Albus asked Scorpius when he slid into his seat just seconds before Professor Longbottom entered the room.

"Sorry Alb, I had to clear my head this morning." he whispered but shut up when he saw the Professor look their way. They had learned not to mess up with the head of Gryffindor House.

"Today we will continue with the Bubotuber Plant. Everyone please get your gloves. Nobody needs boils today, trust me they hurt." Professor Longbottom said with a smile and watched his students get their dragon-hide gloves.

"Last lesson we covered the properties of the plant and how to use it, today we will harvest the Bubotuber pus."

Albus looked at the swelling of the plant before him with disgust. It looked like an oversized pimple filled with a greenish liquid. With the bottle between him and the plant he started to squeeze the swelling and caught the liquid coming out.

"Uhh, this smells like a petrol station!" a Ravenclaw student not far from them complained in disgust.

"We wouldn't know, mugglelover." Pamela, one of the other Slytherin girls crackled, but shrieked when she got some of the liquid on her uniform because she had squeezed to hard while laughing.

"Get it off me." she shouted towards the girl next to her, but Professor Longbottom was already beside her.

"Nothing hit your skin, just a little stain on the clothes." he commented after checking her out. "That should teach you not to make fun of your classmates."

Pamela glared at their Professor, but knew better than to talk back. She took her wand and preformed a vanishing spell now that she had calmed down.

Scorpius snickered next to Albus but tried to hide it.

"Imagine her with a pimple as big as the one of the plant on her face."

The boys both laughed but sobered when Professor Longbottom went to stand behind them. They kept quiet for the rest of the lesson, but Albus was relieved to see that Scorpius was in a good mood again. Maybe he could tell his friend about the letter he sent later without another argument.

 

~°~

 

"I told you to find out what's going on Crow!" Delphi shouted when he entered the room. She held the letter in her hand while the owl that had delivered it was trying to get away, but she had closed the window. Her silvery hair was in a tight plait and the black clothes she wore clung to her frame. If it wasn't for her blue tips she could have been a black-and-white image. Even her midnight black tattoo matched the perception. She was a beautiful and scary woman in her rage.

When he didn't say anything she continued.

"There is nothing in this letter. Only something about problems little kids have. Problems I don't care about. He's to do what he's told, not whining about his perfect life with his perfect parents."

Suddenly she went quiet and closed her eyes. She always did when she tried to gain her calmness back.

"I need you out there Crow. You have been by my side for half my life and you know how important this is for me. I need you to watch them and come back once you know why he didn't use the time turner." Her eyes were ablaze with hatred and she was still shaking in rage, but her voice was icy and controlled.

It was frightening to watch her and Crow had learned not to talk at all if she was in this state of mind. Nodding, he vanished through the door he had come from and made his way back to the trees of Hogwarts. He would need to get closer to the boys than before to listen into their conversations. Plans were to be made and he had a long flight ahead of him to make them. Changing back into the body of a crow he left the estate back towards the cold Scottish highlands.

 

~°~

 

Molly sat on her table at the Burrow, lost in thoughts. The plates were washing themselves with magic behind her and no hand on the clock except her own pointed at home. There were many hands on the clock now and on most days it made Molly smile just to look at them all. That very special piece of magic her brothers had given to her was, after all, her most treasured possession. But not even the switching hands on her clock lifted her mood today.

In her hands she held a letter from her youngest son who cancelled her invitation yet again. She knew from George that Ron wasn't doing well and had wanted to give her son a way to talk to her. She was already half out of her mind with worry and not far from ambushing him at work again, but somehow he had always vanished when she entered the shop.

Getting a hold on her daughter-in-law was just as bad. Since her howler she hadn't heard from Hermione and Ginny wasn't talking after Molly had so obviously taken Ron's side without knowing what was going on.

After all these years Molly knew she couldn't dictate her children's lives but she was a firm believer that a lecture or two could help a matter. That she couldn't get a hold of Ron or Hermione left her unsettled. She hadn't wanted to drive them away from her or the family. It would be Christmas soon and her family needed to be fixed then. She couldn't have them missing on such an important celebration. She knew it wouldn't just break her own heart, but the children's too. Standing up she shook herself out of her lethargic state and went to get her knitting needles. There were still many sweaters to be finished. She wouldn't give up seeing her family happy again. Tomorrow she would floo over Ginny's again and find out where Hermione was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hermione and Draco were supposed to meet up like two thousend words ago. But somehow my characters keep interfering with my setup. Now we have a worried Molly at our hands and poor Draco has to wait.


	18. Hermione's plan

"Ginny?" Harry called out when he hung his coat at their hall stand. He had made it home in time for dinner for the first time this week and wanted to spend a comfy evening with his wife. Walking towards the kitchen, he heard her voice.

"I can't and won't help you mom. Give them some space and time and they'll reach out to you. You know they love you."

"Don't you tell me what to do young lady. They are my family and it's nearly Christmas." Molly's voice was strained and Harry took a deep breath before he entered the kitchen.

"Molly" he greeted her with a smile and went to hug her.

"Harry, my boy, how are you?" her smile lit up her face when she saw him. It warmed him every time he saw his mother-in-law, and how happy she was seeing him. Even after all these years it made him feel as warm and as welcome as the first time he entered the Burrow.

"I'm fine." He answered her when she put her hands on both sides of his face and looked into his eyes.

"Good, good. I need your help with Ginny. She won't tell where I can find Hermione. I'm so worried. I know I overreacted without knowing the full story, but neither her nor Ron are talking to me. How is a mother supposed to help?" she patted his cheeks and turned her body so she could look at her daughter with a glare.

Harry sighed and shook his head.

"I have to back up Ginny here, I'm sorry Molly. Give them some time to come to term with what happened. Even I don't know most of it and will not tell what I know in fear of making it worse. I'm just as worried as you are, trust me. I only saw Hermione once and Ron twice since everything went down the hill."

Harry and Ginny could see that Molly wasn't sure if she was to cry or scream. It was hard to see the lively woman hagridden like this. She was what held their family tight together with her love no matter what happened. Like this, they could see that she had gotten older. Even if wizards lived easily to be over hundred, there were more and more wrinkles in her face and her hair had more and more grey highlights.

"If they don't settle everything for Christmas, we need a dotting grandmother to tend to Rose and Hugo's mom. They'll need you smiling." Ginny tried to shift her mother'ss focus. When her mother turned around to her, Harry send his wife a smile of gratitude. They both knew Molly would do anything for her grandchildren, even forgetting to scold their parents for some time.

Hours later when they had eaten dinner and Molly had left for home Harry gathered Ginny in his arms and kissed her hair.

"I'm home on time for once and still can't spend a private evening with you."

"Thanks for coming when you did. I love mom but she drives me crazy sometimes." Ginny snuggled into him and wrapped her arms around his middle. "I love you."

"Even with all the shit that happens because of me? You are a strong woman Mrs Potter. What would I do without you."

Ginny tensed up in his arms but sighed instead of exploding like she would have done as a young woman. "Not everything happens because of you. Dial down your ego, Mr Potter "

They laughed together and kept standing like they were some more each lost in their thoughts.

 

 

XxX

 

*Two weeks later*

Everything was set into motion for Hermione's visit to Malfoy Manor. She had drunken a valour potion she had brewed in her room over the last days and her clothes looked perfect. The uneasy feeling and the nagging voice telling her she was deceiving him since she send her letter to meet him were put in a place far away from her brain.

She had decided on robes in a dark green with some gold highlights. The gold embroidery had been done by herself. She had learned the skills from a book for Aquila a few years back. A way to give her girl something more than boring clothes and at the same time protect her.

Her robes spotted a night sky of stars. The constellation Draco had been named after hovered over her heart. On the right bottom Scorpius' and next to his on the left side Aquila's constellations could be seen. It was an exact replica of the southern summer sky at night. Hermione had spend many hours finishing the robes to have her dear ones always near her. It was also the first time she had made such fine clothes for herself and not her daughter. It felt like a safety blanket was wrapped around her.

While the torture she had endured at the Manor was only a distant foggy memory, most of the time she still did have nightmares featuring Bellatrix. They were about the things they did to Draco or what could happen to her kids if Bellatrix ever found them. She scolded herself for getting lost in bad thoughts and squared her shoulders. Bellatrix was dead, she couldn't harm her dear ones anymore. This thought was an endless loop in her head to keep her from having a panic attak.

In her hand she carried a bottle of Elf-made wine she had bought on her shopping trip with Ginny. Her friend had looked at her strangely but hadn't commented. Maybe she was afraid Hermione knew no other way to help herself but drink her problems away.

The day they had spend together in Diagon Alley and later in the Muggle London had been strange but a balm for Hermione. At the beginning they had some trouble to find a safe topic to talk about, but soon Ginny had simply talked about her life and Hermione had been happy to listen.

Her friend hadn't asked her any questions and given her room to get to know her again. Ginny was way more settled that she remembered her.

She still had a temper to behold, but like Molly, she had learned to keep it down until something that really matter happened. All day Hermione had waited for Ginny to scold her and wash her head over what she had done to Ron, but Ginny had bitten her tongue and taken her own advise. She could wait until Hermione talked to her freely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally we are at the more romantic part.
> 
> I tried to show just how hard everything was on Hermione and everyone around her until now, but I'm no expert on ptsd, if you want to know more about it I recommend to google it.  
> A member of my family has been in Afganistan with the army and I used some of the experiences he told me about when he was back home. It isn't easy to adjust back into normal life.
> 
> Minor change May 2019


	19. A ring and a locket

Hermione grabbed some Floo Powder and thanked McGonagall in silence for connecting her fireplace without any questions asked. The spinning filled her with nausea after using this methode of travel for the first time in years. When it finally stopped she needed a second to find her footing. 

Draco waited for her in a sitting room. It was a small room considering the sheer size of the whole Manor, yet it would have been able to hold a whole party, if one intended to.

There were some comfy chairs arranged around the fireplace, which made it unlikely for this to be the normal room visitors would enter through. Still it was the room Hermione found herself in after leaving the Floo.

They stared at each other for a few moments, until Hermione cleared her throat and looked around, unsure.

"This is a nice room. Not what I expected."

"I didn't think you would want to see **that** room again. I'm not a complete asshole. I changed the Floo connection for today." Draco answered her question with a drawl and pointed at a chair for her to settle. She nodded her agreement and handed the bottle in her hand over to him with a smile.

"Didn't you fight for the rights of house elves for years Granger?" Draco commented her choice of wine but got two glasses from a nearby cabinet and poured them both.

"They get paid if I buy one, so it's fair, isn't it ?" was Hermione's dry answer. She remembered S.P.E.W. and it made her smile thinking about it, but with years of war between now and then it wasn't something she had her mind set on like she had back in school. Anyway it was good to know that she had continued her efforts in a world without war, though. She would have to look it up and see if she could still take care of that part of this Hermione's life. Sipping from the glass Draco handed her, she smiled at his big gulp, knowing it wasn't ordinary wine as he thought.

She looked around the room, noticing it was a private part of the Mansion. There were a few things to show off and it had a snug vintage feel to it with the dark wood and a few silver and green accents.

Draco's fixed his blank stare on the ring on her hand, just like a few weeks before. He had talked himself into believing it hadn't been real, but now he saw it again on her finger. The same ring that was buried with his wife in a tomb not far away from the Manor. He took a large slug before addressing Hermione again.

„So how did that happen? Me marrying you? I can't phantom how we should grow to stand each other, let alone have sex." he asked after putting the glass down. She inclined her head thinking about her answer. Her finger tapped against the handle in a steady rhythm, producing a clicking when the ring met the glass. Even with the potion in her system she still felt nervous.

„I didn't marry you. I married him and I did it because I loved him. He was my best friend long before we married Malfoy."

„And Weasel?" he was curious and the wine made it easier to be daring. For him Hermione had always been off-limits. First because his father would have killed him, then because he loved his wife and now because she was married.

„Dead. Not that he was sad about that. He called him a dunderhead often enough when he was still alive. Picked that up from Severus I guess. Aquila, too, loved that word." not the full truth, but Hermione knew she had shifted his focus by mentioning their daughter. They both knew the whole meeting was only about their daughter. For him it was the scepsis and maybe a longing for more than his solitude life. For her it was a strong believe she could have some kind of connection to him and she needed him for her plan. Her nightmares kept her awake most nights and she had to use glamours whenever she left her room. She had rarely eaten or slept since she had decided on the road she was about to walk down, her main focus on studying for her DADA Master to keep her thoughts from wandering.

She knew something was off and so Hermione had tried to find a solution. After some research she had bought some books on PTSD in muggle London confirming her hunch. Therapy was highly recommended, just like talking about it. One of the doctors also wrote about trying to find a solution by exposing oneself to the same situations. It was a shock treatment he only recommended for smaller cases of PTSD and never without supervision. Hermione knew the path she had chosen wasn't what the doctor had in mind, but for now it looked like the best choice to make. Her mind tried to drift into chaos whenever she wasn't on high altered and with the bit of sleep she got it wasn't getting easier.

At least she was able to eat again since she had decided to meet up with Draco. Her appetite was finally big enough to gain some weight back to have a womanly body again. She had hated to look at the skeleton she had become in the mirror. Back in their hideout there hadn't been any mirrors or time to worry about petty things like appearance. Life was about survival and the wellbeing of her children.

„Hard to believe I had a daughter with you." Draco interrupted her mussing.

She sighed, he finally voiced his doubt. He had never been a trusting man, something that hadn't changed. Since she came here she noticed that a lot of things were simply a persons character and others were based on circumstances.

„If you ever tell a soul I showed this to you before anyone else I will make sure you regret it. You know I can." She let the threat hang in the air and smiled when she saw his realisation that she would stay true to it. Maybe he did remember the last time she had punched him.  
She opened the locket that hung around her neck and showed it to him after hesitating for a few moments. He noticed she didn't look at it herself.

There were two pictures inside. One of him and Scorpius standing on either side of a seated Hermione. In the picture he smiled at his son first and then down at Hermione. His smile changed slightly at that point. Nothing he would have picked up if it hadn't been himself. He looked at her like he often saw couples deeply in love look at each other. It was disturbing. He frowned and noticed that while he was able to tell it was him, he looked different. Less arrogant, older and worn out. From what she had told them, and based on Scorpius' age in the picture, he couldn't have been much older than thirty when it was taken.

The second picture was the one that left him speechless. There was a small girl sitting on Hermione's lap. She giggled at something that Scorpius next to her said. Now it was Hermione that looked old beyond her years and worn out. She still smiled at the little girl, but it wasn't as big as the one he had seen in the first picture. More of a small sincere smile that took a lot of energy to produce.

„So back to my first question. How did I come to marry you Granger?" he asked in a raspy voice after clearing the throat. The woman opposite of him got up from her chair and walked over to him, sitting down on his armrest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some major changes about Hermione's ambition. May 2019


	20. A seductress

Hermione's hand trailed Draco's jaw towards his chin, where she gently rasped him with her nails. A shiver ran down his spine but he kept his face emotionless.

„What are you trying to prove with that Granger?" he literally spat the words in her face. She didn't answer in words but there was a mischievous smile in her face and she simply look down towards his tight cloth trousers. When she looked at him again she questioningly raised her eyebrow and removed her hand again.

„Nothing." she took the locket out of his hands and moved back to her own chair. She wasn't sure why she had done it herself, but was sure now that the valour potion worked, maybe a bit to well. Again she had to remind herself this wasn't the man she loved and married, even if it was Draco. The reality was harsh and unwelcome, but reality nonetheless. Some deep breaths kept her from spiralling down the path into the misery she knew would be waiting for her once the knowledge really sunk in.

„Tease!" he growled and tried to get comfortable within his now tight trousers. She knew how to turn him on without really touching him and made him rethink everything he knew about the Gryffindor Princess. This woman truly wasn't Weasel's wife and that answered any further questions about how he was able to have a child with her. She was a seductress.

Draco groaned. His old school crush was crashing back over him and he couldn't help remembering how he had kept trying to get her attention with insults. If he was to be honest with himself it wasn't that deceptive that they had ended up in bed after gaining common ground. He was jealous of the man she had come to love. For all his life he wanted his existence to have some meaning. Something more than the pureblood lifeline he was told to live. He had worked hard to overcome most of it and showed his son that he was loved, but he still lacked. He just needed to see the Potter and Weasley's interaction with their own kids to know. The longing in Scorpius eyes, it hurt him deeply, especially now that his wife was dead. But how could he help, with no idea of how to fix it? To see Granger defend his son like she would any of her own had made his heart skip a beat. And to have her admit that she loved a men that was him, even if not quite him, gave him hope.

„You didn't marry me, my husband did. And while there are some characteristics you share, there is no doubt in my mind, you aren't him." Hermione interrupted his thoughts. A small little white lie, since she wasn't beyond hope that he could be. Her voice was not really cold but it wasn't friendly either, a mechanism to keep the longing for him out of it.

„Characteristics I share with him?" He raised an eyebrow and smirked. After that little demonstration he would take any way into her pants he could get. Not while she was legally a Weasley, of course, but afterwards. He just needed to make sure he could stay there once he was successful.

„That smirk. He never lost it." She smiled sadly and her expression got that far away look. Her hands touched the pendant around her neck and suddenly she laughed.

„He would have whipped the floor with you, if he ever got the chance to meet you. You are so full of yourself and look way to much like your father with that long hair. He would have hated it. After everything Lucius did to him he would be unable to even look at you without being disgusted."

„But you aren't disgusted." Draco probed and smirked at her. Cutting his hair short again was just a small price he would gladly pay to get her to pay attention to his sad excuse of a life. His father would hate it, but after all these years maybe he needed to stop caring, to gain what he wanted.

„Like I said. You are alike in as much ways as you are opposed."

She offered another glass of wine to him while saying it. He gladly took it to make his head stop overthinking. Nothing would happen anyway, no matter what his head told him.

There was nothing wrong with just looking at her while she sat right in front of him. The robes she wore were made artfully and hugged her curves. Since he had seen her two weeks ago she had gained weight that was dearly needed. She looked fit now. Little did he know it was a charm she had woven around her.

"Are you wearing runes on your robes?" he suddenly asked out of the blue. There were hand-made embroideries all over her torso he had deemed normal motif at first until he had noticed her hand caressing over them.

"Something close to it yes. It makes me feel safe."

Her answer was cryptic but the longer he stared at them the more he felt like he should know what they meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are finally at a turning point.  
> For one I made it to the more romantic part, for another I think that the way Hermione acts out her feelings shows how rattled she is after everything she was through.  
> I get told again and again how out of character she acts, but please always remember what a trauma means. This is my interpretation of it.


	21. The dread of a wrong decision?

Draco's head was resting against the backrest and his eyes were closed when Hermione dropped down between his legs maybe minutes -or was it hours?- later.

"Are you still with me Draco?" she asked quietly and let her hands rest on his thighs. He looked equably, something she hadn't seen on her own Draco in years, if ever.

"Just a bit too much, give me a second." His answer was slightly slurred, but when he opened his eyes he captured her gaze. There was a slight smile on his face that morphed into his significant smirk when he noticed just where she was sitting. His hand captured hers and placed it a little bit higher while he raised his eyebrow.

"Is it this you wanted? Just take it." he murmured and when she didn't protest, hauled her onto his lap. It was a bit uncoordinated and Hermione had to adjust herself, but she knew she had what she wanted.

"Lets see if you are pleased with our alikeness in bed too Granger." Draco whispered into her ear and nipped at her neck. She slowly opened his dress shirt from bottom to top and caressed his skin beneath.

"Your skin is like silk, so soft." She breathed while stroking his nipples. "No marks blemishing it. Just like a chaste boy." 

His hands wandered to her butt and gave the cheek a light squeeze, as if to object silently, while his mouth was on hers, kissing her for the first time. She tasted like honey and wine to him.

There were no more words to be spoken, both of them busy ravishing. Sucking in breaths they looked at each other. Hermione got rid of her top and pressed her chest against his, closing her eyes and tried to push back the traitorous thought that this was the wrong man. With that, the last chance for him or her to say something passing, it was inevitable.

He was left with a desire so sharp it almost hurt when it kept pulsing under his skin after her kiss. His temptress left him surrounded by her. She put her hand over his and forced it against her beast, giving it a squeeze. Then she dragged her hand over his torso, across his flat stomach, down to his fly where his erection pressed against the fabric. She didn't press any further until he kissed her hard again and kneaded her breast with his hand. His second hand tangled itself into her curls and pressed her harder against him. Then she popped the button out of its hole and started to pull his dress pants off over his hips, which proved to be hard with her sitting on top. He hissed out a breath and dropped his head to her bosom wiggling around to make it easier for both of them. His mouth captured the tip of her nipple, suckling, startling Hermione into throwing her head back and moaning. Lust was burning between them, growing while they touched each other.

 

Draco slipped a finger inside her and worked her until she was half frantic with the need to come. But whenever she was about to climax he withdrew and watched her pant until she cursed him. He kept switching between fast and slow to tease her and see how she reacted. As drunken as he was he savoured the moment. He was as hard as a rock and her fingers caressed him from time to time but he wanted to have more than just a small fuck. The way she rode his fingers and begged for him to stroke her clitoris left him ready to take her way to soon. He lifted her and eased into her slowly. The long time since her last sex made her draw in a sharp breath as his size entered her. She sagged against him and trembled while he waited for her to adjust. Then suddenly Hermione took over again. She gripped his shoulders and straightened to watch his face while she slowly rose and lowered herself along his length. She moved fast and took him deeper every time his shaft was sheathed inside her. Draco groaned and gripped her hips to slow her pace but Hermione was not one to be denied what she wanted. She pumped harder and deeper with a grace that soon had him pleading with a raspy voice. When he came he nearly threw her off with his upwards thrust, his whole body stiffing as he gave a low shout filling her with his cum. She felt his warm spilling into her and savoured the moment as their breathing settled slowly. They were damp with sweat and sticky but he pulled her close and held her while they fell asleep on the davenport.

 

Hermione awoke still straddling Draco. She knew she should go before he woke up, but he was beautiful, lying asleep on the couch, his body spend by their love-making. His long blond hair glowed in the early morning sun, all a tangle now and his eyes were hidden by the long sweep of his eyelashes. He was older, not a boy anymore for many years. His winkles looked good on him, still he looked so much younger asleep. She wanted to caress the stumbles on his jaw, but didn't want to risk waking him up. There had been many times she had done it to wake him up, before he had to vanish again, using the few hours they had at their fullest. It had been stolen hours, just like now. Hermione was sure she would regret what she had done last night later. At the moment she was so happy and content she couldn't imagine it. She knew that the potion in the wine had granted her wish. Still she had a lump in her throat, making it hard to swallow.

As silently as possible she got up and gathered her clothes from the floor.

At the door, she looked back at his sleeping form, whispering her apologies into the quiet room.

With a last longing look at him she vanished from his mansion with a few happy and a few sad tears in her eyes. Fear of what she had done was already crawling up her spine, while her logical mind was screaming at her: ''You know better, don't you?''


	22. Captain Wood?!

Ian Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, Prefect and 5th year student, was nervous. He knew he was good-looking, with his long wide build, his roguish smile and his blond tousled hair. Still, asking out a girl that was known for her big mouth wasn't an easy thing. Yet there was no way back, he had a bet running with his best mate Alec Merrythought. Alec knew he had a small crush on the girl since she joined the Quidditch Team and bribed him into asking her with the bet. Ian wasn't sure yet if he should be happy or just angry with his friend. Maybe a mix of both, depending on her answer.

"Hey Rose, got a sec?" he let his voice carry across the Common Room when she entered and send a smile her way. Rose turned towards her raven haired friend and they whispered a few moments until she came over and sat down beside him. She wore her red curly hair open today and her brown eyes were fixed on him.

They were in the back of the room and the other students paid them no attention, thinking this was about the upcoming match against Ravenclaw.

Her cousin James watched them with his best friends Ralph and Jason but he knew they were only curious about the topic. Jason and James were also part of their team and to eager to miss anything that had to do with Quidditch. He bundled them off with a gesticulation, he didn't want any witnesses, should she turn him down.

"What's up, Cap?" she asked him. "Any concerns about the match you want to share?"

Struck by an sudden idea Ian decided to do things a bit differently.

"No. But would you consider going to Hogsmeade with me if I can catch the Snitch for you? Of course only if you are single."

He knew all about the best mate of her cousin Albus, hell the whole school knew how the boy tried to ask her out again and again. While she always blocked Scorpius attempts, Ian wasn't sure if there wasn't some deeper connection between them. Maybe it was their way of hiding their relationship, he wouldn't blame her. Most were still wary of anyone from the Slytherin House and relationships with 'one of them' were frowned on.

He hadn't had to worry, because while Rose looked at him, she decided that he might be her best way to show Scorpius that she didn't care for him. For her it was a softer way to let him know, than tell it to his face, like her mother told her to. For all her snappish comments, she didn't hate him, he was just to much for her taste most days. Also Ian Wood was a nice bloke, maybe a bit to focused on Quidditch sometimes, but Rose liked him just fine.

"Catch it and you've got a date." she stood up and saw his whole face lighten up. She couldn't help herself but smile back.

Flipping her hair she turned around and joined her friend Mara again. They vanished to the girls dormitories while Ian's gaze followed them.

Alec took her seat and saw the smile on his mate's face. He knew no questions needed to be asked to know her answer.

"Now you're happy I finally got you to ask her out, aren't you?" Alec smirked while he cosied up to the fireplace. It was a winter in Scotland after all, and he hated the cold more than anything else.

 

XxX

 

Professor Sprouse watched Saturn again. The new moon would be up on them tomorrow again, the second time since Saturn's light had flared. For more than a month she had spent every other night on top of the Astronomy Tower and watched the stars flicker.

Her Mastery was in Astronomy, but her old Dogon Master had made sure she was educated in the old ways of Divination too. She always told her about the harmony of things. Good and bad were reflected on the sky and couldn't exist without each other. Where there's light, shadows will form, just as day and night was a never ending circle.

Star charts could show even little differences if you wrote down the movements and intensity. Astrology was an art that took years to understand, but from time to time Professor Sprouse glimpsed parts of it. While she taught names and movements more than the meaning behind them, she knew there was more.

Over the last month she had watched the stars, wishing she could interpret the meaning behind this occurrence. Professor Trelawney wasn't a big help, something she found out within her first few days at Hogwarts. She still wondered how that ignorant woman was able to teach students. Maybe she had the third eye, but she didn't use it most of the time.

There were rumours about Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest, that used the stars for divination but she wasn't foolish enough to enter it, after Professor Hagrid had advised against going near the Centaurs. She had asked him some time ago to speak to them on her behalf, but had no answer yet. They must have seen it too, but that didn't involve sharing it with a human.

It made her sad to have no way to contact her old Master, but she knew the rules. Once the apprenticeship was finished, the tribe moved on and she was not to contact them again. She had to seek any other knowledge she wanted in the world she lived in. She longed for someone to teach her more, show her more and help her with the anxiety she was feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my focus is back on the rest of the characters. What I disliked to most about the "8th" book was that so many characters were left out, but while I write this I start to understand. It's hard to write about so many different persons. I would love to show more of Molly, Harry and all the others. But this story is about Hermione and the kids. If you are wondering what Ian Wood has to do with everything stay tuned.
> 
> Thank you again for all the nice comments and kudos to Eva who betas for us every week so most of my mistakes are gone when you get to see the new chapter.


	23. More nightmares and a crow in the tree

_  
The darkness was surrounding her. It was closing in on her. No light was to be seen. She was inside a whole lot of nothingness. There was no clue as to which way she should turn forward to escape. Suddenly she heard someone whimper. It was heart wrecking._

_"Aquila?" her voice echoed. The sobbing stopped and she tried to remember which direction it came from. Then the screaming started. Low at first, gaining more and more volume. It sounded just like her daughter. She had to rescue her, but she couldn't find the source. There was nothing but darkness and echoes around her. She was unable to move, afraid to go into the wrong direction._

Hermione woke up screaming from the top of her lungs. She squeezed her eyes shut, but the tears flowed anyway.

She had been sure she could get a grip on her life if she followed her plan. As long as she had a plan everything should work. Hermione had been able to learn, eat and live as long as she followed it. It had been her anchor, because she had always known her brain was her best resource. Now she wasn't sure anymore. She kept seeing shadows in the hallways, night by night her subconscious mind plagued her with nightmares and worst of all, she had betrayed nearly every friend she ever had. Ginny was right, she needed someone to talk to, but she was afraid to show them just how damaged she really was. She wanted to be strong, confident and reliable, but she had to admit defeat.

Meeting Draco and trying to get back what she had lost had failed her. Most likely it had even made things worse. And while she acknowledged her own failure, the voice in her head finally shut up, because yes, she knew better than continue on her desolate path.

Tonight there would be no more sleep for her until she cleared her head. Like so many nights before she got up and dressed to walk the ground until the worst of her nightmares were gone.

 

XxX

 

"It looks like we always meet up in the middle of the night Hermione." a deep voice greeted Hermione from behind. It scared the hell out of her, and she swirled around with her wand drawn and a nonverbal spell in her head. When she spotted Luna behind her she drew a deep breath and let it out again to compose herself before she answered. "Good evening Luna. I'm sorry, I didn't hear your approach."

The taller woman laughed and smiled good natured. "No offence taken. You are a war hero, so I understand your reaction. At least you didn't curse me and next time I know I'll have to be more careful."

Hermione was sure that she had used a spell, but it looked like she had missed, something she was grateful for. She didn't want to hurt a Professor, especially if they were to work together soon. Professor Sprouse was a bit odd, but always polite towards her. However she would need to work harder again, and practice more. Something like missing her target could be deadly.

"The Headmistress told us you are taking an exam to be a Professor soon." Luna asked as if she had read Hermione's thoughts.

While Hermione told her about her upcoming exam they walked through Hogwarts. It made Hermione feel calm and normal to talk about academics with someone who understood her and even commented from time to time. The younger woman had an excellent schooling with a totally different approach than they had here in Hogwarts.

"A shield charm is mostly covering the front, so attacks from beneath or behind can still hit the opponent." Professor Sprouse introduced when they talked about defensive spells.

"Most spells are going straight towards the target, so that's hard to do, isn't it?" Hermione asked her while she thought about the new insight.

"But if I summon something that is right behind him, it would knock him down if it's big enough. Or I could levitate something over his head and use the opening once he turns. That's brilliant Luna!" Hermione's eyes were sparkling. She wasn't bad at conventional duelling, but Harry had always been better than her. His magic had simply been stronger than hers. With small things like that she would be even better at duelling, even if it was a rather Slytherin thing to do. Attacking an opponent from behind wasn't really fair play, but Hermione had long far gone fairness for staying alive.

Stepping into the Courtyard Luna smiled back at Hermione and then looked around.

"Just give me a second to give a new friend of mine some food." she asked her companions and went towards the trees. Intently Hermione watch her approach a crow that sat alone in the trees. As if knowing someone neared, it opened its eyes and watched Luna alert with intelligent eyes. Luna placed something on the bottom of the tree and then went to join Hermione again.

"He isn't a pet of any of the students and he is here since winter started, so I feed him." Luna offered some information. "I always had some odd connection with those birds."

They watched in silence when the crow flew down from his tree to pick at the apple and the meat Luna had left for him while keeping looking their way.

Continuing their walk without talking Luna kept looking for students out after curfew while she hummed a low smoothing tune and Hermione let her thoughts wander. After they bid their goodbye later that night Hermione fell into a deep dreamless sleep until the next morning.


	24. No letter?

"Albus, pssst." Scorpius tried to get his best mate's attention without waking the other boys in their dorm. Albus had a light sleep so it wasn't a hard task.

"Shut up!" Albus' answer was muffled by his sheets, but Scorpius knew once awake Albus would listen.

"I saw the Death Eaters in my dream again, and Snape. Do you think it's possible to miss someone you only met for an hour? I feel like I should have taken more time to get to know him. Maybe I could have asked him how to be stronger. I think he must have been a strict but really good teacher. My Dad always told me how much he looked up to him."

"Nice Scorpius, always a pleasure to be waken by you." Albus groaned but turned around to look at his friend. Making sure the curtains of the other boys were still closed he glared at Scorpius for waking him up. "We'll help Delphi with her task and make sure Snape stays alive, then you can ask him everything. Now let me sleep."

"Albus we can't kill Cedric again! You know how it ended the first time." Scorpius went even paler than normal but tried to keep his voice down. Something that proved to be difficult while he was still shaken from his nightmare. The eerie black shadows of his dreams were still laughing at him and taunting him. They told him he was unworthy to be Voldemort's son, so they would kill him and take his place as the heir. Even worse was what they did if he kept telling himself, and them, that Draco Malfoy was his father. They just laughed and laughed, making fun of him for believing a lie.

"You worry to much, there'll be a different way. Good night." with that Albus turned around and went back to sleep, ignoring anything else Scorpius wanted to say. He didn't want another argument in the middle of the night. He had his own doubts about what his girlfriend was asking of him, without Scorpius adding to them.

XxX

The times Hugo approached his sister, especially at her own table at breakfast were rare. Her little brother was rather quiet, had few friends and he was way to shy to stand up to any Gryffindor. She had told her house mates years ago to leave him alone or else, but for Hugo they were to loud and extroverted anyway and so he stayed away from her and the rest of Gryffindor's House.

Hence it was no wonder Rose was nearly having a heart attack when a small low voice talked to her from behind and, she was quite sure, was her brother's: "Rose?"

She jumped up from the bench and turned around, thinking her cousin James was playing a joke on her again, just to see it was her startled little brother behind her, with two book pressed against his chest. His red hair was unkempt and his green eyes were wide open in shock.

"Sorry" he apologised right away: "I'll talk to you later."

He nearly ran away after he saw everyone looking at him because of the spectacle his sister had caused. Cursing, Rose sent a longing look at her breakfast before she hurried after her brother to catch him outside the halls. She knew he wouldn't talk while he saw others looking at them.

"Hugo!" she called after him once they were in the hallway and was happy to notice he slowed down. While he was two years younger he was already catching up in height and his legs were way to long for his body in her opinion. Outrunning him proved to be more difficult each year.

"You can ask me now." she told him and smiled. It had to be important for him to seek her out on his own.

"Did Dad write to you? I haven't got an answer from him in two weeks." Hugo wasn't looking at her but at the stones at his feet and it broke Rose's heart to see him like this. Their parents should worry about them and not the other way around. Since her talk with her mother she felt rather restless herself, so she had told Hugo to stay away from their mother. She didn't want her little pure hearted brother to get hurt by that woman. It might be harsh but in his own best interest. She didn't know what kind of spell had gone wrong and messed with her mother's memories as bad as it had but in her opinion she should be in St. Mungo's and not here at school. Having her still here told her something she didn't want to accept or even acknowledge, because it would mean she would have to deal with the story her mother had told her. All Rose wanted was to wake up from this, go home on the winter break and find her parents quarrelling under the Christmas tree. How she was supposed to explain something she didn't understand herself to her small brother she didn't know.

"No I haven't got a letter either. But Christmas is coming up so I'm sure he's really busy with Uncle George to set up the Shop for it. Don't worry, we'll hear from him soon." she tried to cheer Hugo up and kept smiling at him.

"Uncle George sent a letter just two days ago. He added a lot of sweets." Hugo told her and gave her a weak smile. "I need to get these book to the library. See you later." he told her when she was at a loose for words and left her standing in the Hallway, cursing her parents in her head for doing this to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just noticed we haven't seen Draco since Hermione left him in the morning. I think I need him back next chapter.


	25. He is, after all, a Slytherin

Draco was livid. Chucking his robes on a chair once he entered his private room at the Manor, he cursed his bad luck. After waking up the morning after Granger's rather confusing visit, everything went downhill. Going to work with a massive hangover had proven to be a bad decision, just because he had no hangover potion stocked. He hadn't needed it in years, so why keep it at hand, the last one had gone to seed. At work, his second in command had told him about a cooperation between his two biggest competitors. Since then he had tried to keep it from happening and cursing himself for staring his own company. He had never been able to play professional Quidditch, which had made him decided to develop way to make it an even more outstanding sport. New brooms, kits and other stuff that could be enchanted or enhanced with spells and potions, name it, he tried inventing it. Knowing better than to name a business after himself, Ilmatar Enterprise Ltd. had done well up to now. The start had been rocky because everyone eyed the Malfoys with suspicion after the war. Now he had more than thirty wizards and witches working for him. They were depending on him to keep their jobs safe, and therefore, he needed to have the best stuff to reasonable prices. On that account, the cooperation had been a thorn in his side since it was announced. Normally he could come and go as he liked, deciding his own working hours, but for a week now he was at work nonstop. He needed something new, something better and he needed it soon.

The highlight of his day, in every bad way there was, and what had made him livid was something different, though. It had been a letter from his mother, who had concluded to move to France with his father, after Scorpius had entered Hogwarts. They had decided to come back for a holiday over winter break. His mother told him she wanted to see him and Scorpius occasionally, and since they wouldn't come to France she had made sure they had a portkey for the 23th of December. Draco was dead against it, but that wasn't something he could tell his own mother.

Knowing how much his son hated the stiff Malfoy celebrations, he had decided to kill the tradition years ago, but with his parents coming over there would be no way around it. This year his relationship with Scorpius was strained enough already, and he didn't even want to think about how his son would react to the news. He just hoped he would still come home, but they both knew with Lucius Malfoy in attendance there was no other way.

Draco wouldn't say that his son hated his grandfather, but they would never be close. Lucius always made sure to let Draco know that he didn't agree with his parenting. Scorpius felt unsure around his strict grandfather and mostly got scolded for behaving like a kid when he was small. Draco's arguments to let his son have a normal childhood with getting dirty and playing pranks like other kids had met his father's believes in a strict pureblood upbringing of the next Malfoy heir. It had been the one time Draco had told his father to get lost. To say Lucius Malfoy had been furious would be the understatement of the century. They hadn't even looked at each other for weeks. Hadn't his mother put down her foot they would still glare at each other, but bless his mother for she was his father's solely weakness and knew how to use it.

A deep pain resurfaced when he thought about his son. The boy had closed down and isolated himself since his mother's death. He hadn't seen a carefree laugh or smile in years and he hated Harry Potter for denying him any help. Only his son Albus kept Scorpius going on some days, and it was something Draco was grateful for. To have a best friend at your side, no matter what, was something he missed since Astoria's death. He missed her, talking to her about their son, about his troubles. It had always helped.

Remembering Scorpius standing by Hermione's side after his latest escapades with Albus he smiled. Maybe that woman would be able to help getting his son out of his shell. Now he only needed to know how to handle her. Until recently, she had only been Potter's sidekick and Weasley's wife in his eyes, he hadn't allowed himself to see her any other way.

Since she had left him that evening, he had been waiting for a letter from her. He still hadn't gotten one, but he was nothing if not patient. He could wait until she made her next step, because from what he remembered of their night together she wouldn't be able to stay away.

He could still see her ridding him, grinding her hips against his. He had never known she could be so dominant during sex, but he had enjoyed it in a dark kind of way. Her voice had been husky and he still remembered her hushed "I love you Draco!" from when she had exploded around him. Her breast had brushed against him when she had whispered it to his ear. Feeling her tighten around him and her words at the same time had made him explode right along with her. It had been in the middle of the night and the buzz from the alcohol hadn't been as strong as the first time they had sex that evening. That one was rather hazy in his memories. No, it was that second time that had stayed with him. After years of chastity, he hadn't known he was still capable of cumming that hard, and even twice in one night. He still loved his wife dearly, but that one night had awakened a long lost longing again. He could stay strong alone, but now he yearned for someone to stand by his side again. Someone with curly brown hair and amber eyes looking at him as if he was her whole world. He groaned when he noticed how soppy he got over a woman. Just because she had shown him affection and devotion for one night, to leave him in the middle of it.

Sitting on his bed, he messed up his perfect hair with his hands and went to undress. Thinking about it made him hard, which didn't help his current messed up situation the slightest. He would lay low and wait, it was the least risky path to take. At his core, he was a Slytherin after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Draco was really easy to write. I know he's an idiot and a bully in the books but I want to believe that he matured and that since the war 18 years ago he got over the indoctrination of his father.  
> Rowling once said that Draco was foremost a coward and I think he just can't get over himself. Since reading HP and the cursed child we all know he likes it bossy, but I don't think he would ever risk rejection and do the first step. Any opinions if I got it across right? I would love to know if you like his character like this.


	26. Hermione's realisation

"I slept with him."

She had, hadn't she? Hermione could still remember his scent and the noises he made. It had to be real, because any nice dream she had lately turned into a nightmare. The bittersweet memory she had of the night was real and it made her giddy with love and guilt whenever she remembered it. Her heart hurt just thinking of him. He hadn't smiled even once, but he had looked good. For her it had been years since she had been that close to him, even longer since he hadn't looked worn out and scared. She wanted to go back to him and hug him but knew he most likely wouldn't welcome her again. When she had planned this all as a one-off thing she hadn't considered the feelings it would unleash. For her, he had been only a sad copy of her own lover. To feel him, touch him, smell him had changed it. Now she was aware of him in a way that hadn't been there before. Her nightmares still plagued her at night, but the panic attacks had been better since she had seen him. She kept avoiding larger groups of people, but wasn't startled as bad anymore if someone neared her from behind. Now instead of fear she felt a longing to see him again and shame for what she had done.

Ginny had joined her at Hogwarts after they had corresponded mostly via letters since Hermione ended up in this timeline. After Hermione had told her just now what she had done, Ginny was looking at her with wide eyes.

"Why? I know you love him, but you yourself told us he wasn't him." Ginny's voice was upset. She knew something was wrong with Hermione. The Hermione she remembered had grown up to be a strong and independent woman and great mother. Ginny always envied her friend for her calm and logical mind. Where Ginny got loud and emotional, Hermione had been her voice of reason. Like when Harry had taken forever to gather his courage to ask Arthur for her hand in marriage and it had driven Ginny crazy. She knew he was like another son for her parents but Harry had been worried and had hesitated again and again.

"Because I want to get pregnant. I want my family back Ginny." Hermione interrupted Ginny when she wanted to talk again. Suddenly the shame became too much and she sobbed quietly.

"Oh Merlin, what did I do? I know I can't get her back. Intellectually I know that. But it hurts, it hurts so much Ginny. My little girl was all that I had left beside Scorpius. Draco just left us without saying good bye. He is gone and the children are all that is left and now Aquila is gone too." Hermione cradled her arms around her abdomen and cried. Ginny had tears in her eyes at the obvious pain her friend felt. She had never lost a child and hoped she never would. It was bad enough when they lost Fred and it had taken her mother forever to come out of her depression afterwards. Ginny wished for Molly to be there to help her. She would know what to say and what to do, Ginny was sure of it. But it was her who was here and she knew getting angry wouldn't help. She wanted to shout at Hermione, shake her until she came back on the path of reason, but seeing her friend lost in her grief broke her heart.

"You have children Hermione. Rose and Hugo will come around soon and you'll have to take care of them, even if you don't have your own children anymore. They deserve your time and I know you'll come to know and love them, I'm sure of it. But I think maybe you need to talk to someone Hermione. You being you, I know you can do it. You are the strongest woman I know and we'll all be there for you and listen."

"I know something isn't right with my head, but it's not like there are therapists in the wizarding world I could consul about my problems. What happened can't get out and you know that. Any muggle therapist will declare me insane the second I start to talk. I'll have to power through all this alone. My kids as you called them hate me already anyway. All I see when I look at them is Ron."

"You are not alone. You have all of us, even if we have to get to know each other again. We will be here for you. Even if you are pregnant with that ferret's child." Ginny added a bit disgusted at the end, but she tried to smile. It made Hermione look at her for the first time.

"You would have loved Aquila. Sometimes she remembered me so much of you Ginny. She had a fire to behold." Hermione was smiling now, sadly but smiling.

"Hermione, you know you need to tell him if you are pregnant?" Ginny asked warily. She didn't even want to think about it, but knowing Hermione she knew her friend would have made sure she wouldn't have taken the risk not to fall pregnant.

Hermione started to laugh. "I got him drunk. I don't believe he even remembers having sex with me. That conversation is not one of those I look forward to have, but yes I know Ginny. He has a right to get to know his child, even if it was my muddled brain that got him into it, I'm not that unfair."

"You got him drunk..." Ginny shook her head. "I don't even want to ask for the full story of that evening." She sighed. At least Hermione had stopped crying now.

"I hope you know Ron will be devastated if your plot worked. He always wanted a big family and it was you... her that told him two were more than enough. You are not even divorced officially yet."

Hermione looked at Ginny who just sat across from her calmly. The girl she once knew would have thrown a temper about all of this, but this woman was way more collected.

"I'm sorry Ginny. I didn't know that. I know I need to get myself together, but everything is so different and I have a hard time adjusting. Talking helps, so I'm grateful you listen to me. I promise to fix things with Ron once we both cooled down."

It was easily said but Hermione knew it would be a hard promis to keep. Many things had happened between her and Ron and some things couldn't be forgotten. Even if this Ron was someone different the memories were still there.

"Good."

"So tell me about Harry and the kids." Hermione changed the topic. She wanted to catch up on everyone's life and forget the feeling of uneasiness she had. Now that her thoughts calmed down again it came back, telling her she had done something wrong that couldn't be solved by saying sorry.

"You see them more than me Hermione, tell me how they are."

Ginny's laugh was open and it made Hermione's heart hurt that she only got to see it again, so many years later. She wished she knew the person she had grown into without all the hate and war around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eva had just one comment for me after betaing this and I agree with her. We are sadists, because we like the way Hermione mentally tortures herself.  
> I kept thinking again and again how I should portrait her, because she's strong on the outside and rarely showes weakness, but I think deep inside she's overthinking everything she does. While Draco was easy to write I had a hard time here. Personally I'm way closer to Ginny in character than I'm to Hermione, but I admire her for her strength. I think she's never without a plan and her emotional turmoil will cool down once she's anchored.  
> Some minor changes May 2019


	27. They worry, Hermione

"Uncle Harry?" a deep voice asked from the fireplace where green flames flickered and a young man's face was to be seen. When there was no answer the head vanished and a few seconds later the man stood in the fireplace, grumbling because he stumbled, and cleansed the ash from his dark robes. His hair was a mushy brown and his green eyes scanned the room for his uncle or aunt. Normally it was around this time of the day they ate dinner here, but the place was empty today.

"Uncle Harry?" he shouted louder and looked towards the stairs, unsure of what to do. When he was a kid he once interrupted them doing adult stuff and while he hadn't understood then, they simply hadn't answered and although he was impatient, he wasn't sure if he wanted to risk it again. Sitting down on one of the chairs he used his wand to make a strong cup of black tea and waited.

Hours later a tired and worn out Harry Potter found his godson asleep in his kitchen with a cold cup in front of him that didn't look like it had been touched. Concerned he woke up the young man in fear of what could be the reason for his unannounced visit.

"Teddy?" Harry kept his voice low and calm when he touched Teddy and shook him lightly.

"Huh?" Teddy rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, reminding Harry a lot of the small boy he had helped raise the last two decades. Upon seeing his Uncle, Teddy smiled, and his hair turned into a deep black to match Harry's. Something he still did after all those years for the people dearest to him.

"What time is it?" Teddy asked still sleep-drunken and took a gulp from his cup just to grimace when he tasted the cold tea.

"It's nearly midnight." Harry told him and sat down on the chair next to his. His robes were ruffled and he took down his glasses to rub his own eyes.

"Vicky will be crossed with me for staying away for so long." Teddy had told her he would visit the Potters but hadn't considered it would be this late. He hoped she hadn't stayed up waiting for him. They both had to work tomorrow morning.

"What are you doing here anyway? Did something happen?" Harry wanted to know while he made them a batch of coffee with his wand.

"You worry too much Uncle Harry. I just had a few questions because of Aunt Hermione." Ever the Gryffindor Teddy asked right away, he was never one to beat around the bush.

"Did Molly set you up to this?" Harry didn't want to sound indicting but he was too tired to keep the hardness out of his voice. When he and Ginny had told Molly to wait until Hermione answered her, they had thought it would help, but Molly had only taken it as a clue for a day or two. He knew his mother-in-law was really worried, but her constant nagging only added to his stress from work.

"No, but I also asked her and all she told me was to ask elsewhere. She was really mad when I brought it up, too. But Aunt Hermione doesn't answer her letters, and that's not like her. You said at dinner a few weeks ago she stayed at Hogwarts, is she still there? I wanted her help with a surprise for Vicky. There is still time, but Aunt Hermione is the best with charms and I want it to be perfect."

Harry smiled at the pure love he could hear in Teddy's voice when he talked about his fiancé. The boy had been smitten since he and Victoire had entered puberty and nothing had changed since then.

"She's a little off at the moment Ted, but nothing you need to worry too much about. I'll remind her to answer your letter, I'm sure she's just busy sorting everything out." Harry eased Teddy's concern with a sour taste in his mouth for bending the truth like he did.

He knew his old friend was having a hard time to adjust to this world, but he had hoped she would settle in and ask for help from him if she required it. As far as he knew the only person she talked to was Ginny, and his wife hadn't told him what her visit to Hogwarts had been about.

"Thanks Uncle Harry, hug her for me once you see her. I know it must be hard to divorce Ron, but if she thinks it's for the best we understand her. She'll always be family, married or not. Sorry to have kept you from your bed. You really should work less, Aunt Ginny will be worried!"

Harry smiled and nodded. The men hugged and Teddy vanished through the fireplace in search of his own woman.

Harry stayed back alone, pondering what he should do about Hermione, but without Ginny's input he didn't want to make a decision.

~°~

The letters from Harry and Ginny were one of the few Hermione read every morning. Harry's mostly were work related, papers she had to sign, which made her wish her resignation would be approved faster.

Today he had added a few personal words again, that made her feel a lump in her throat. Looking at all the other letters she had gotten until now, they were stored alphabetically, hidden in a small box, she got up to get them.

_Hermione,_

_Everyone is really worried about you. There should be quite a few letters from the family enquiring after you. If you have questions you can write to me anytime, but please answer them. They only know you and Ron are divorcing and became anxious when you shut down completely._

_Love,_

_Harry_

There were some people she remembered, others she couldn't place and a few she was sure had been born after the war.

She hadn't looked at them after getting the howler from Molly a few weeks back and they kept pulling up now. Ginny had told her about the family dinner nearly a month ago that had led to the fiasco with Molly. She felt sorry because she was the one that caused this rift inside the family, but it meant the world to her that Ginny accepted her, messed up and crazy as she felt at the moment.

Placing the letters from Molly aside Hermione looked at all the other names more precisely for the first time.

Smiling when she saw the names Luna Scamander, née Lovegood, and Teddy Lupin, she took a deep breath and remembered her promise to herself when she saw Ginny. She would try to be the person she always wanted to be after the war. Getting to know more about the Hermione she had replaced would be another step towards that direction.


	28. Slytherin vs. Gryffindor

"There is a beauty in your eyes / It dances like a song on fire / It is primitive like love / Sacred like the need for man and animal to like in harmony / Let that beauty sing you the lullaby that lives in the kingdom of Swaziland"

Her voice carried clear through the night while the starts twinkled in the sky over her. Her students had left her classroom on top of the tower not too long ago and she was left alone. Professor Sprouse liked to stay up long into the night. It was the time of the day she adored the most. The old lullaby had been going through her head all evening. It calmed her down to sing it to the night, because the feeling of being watched was strong tonight.

Some days she wandered through the grounds, a few times with Hermione by her side, both of them walking in silence, enjoying each other's company. Luna was sure something was off with the older woman but didn't pry. The Daily Prophet offered more than enough rumours if one wanted to believe them. Either she would be deemed worthy of the truth or she would stay out of it, that was all up to Hermione.

Looking up at the cloud-covered sky she was able to watch the North Star shining bright. Today she would write her letter, no matter the old rules. She just hoped her Dogon Master would understand why she broke with the rite and answer her. After all, it had been her Master who had taught her to listen to her feelings, and not just her head.

~°~

The Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor had been on every lip at breakfast. The weather was cold and misty but at least no new snow was supposed to fall. It was the last game before the winter holidays and for both Slytherin and Gryffindor, it was their first game of the season.

Professor Sprouse stood next to Madam Hooch talking about the game and watching the students gather on the stands.

The team entered the pitch and made both women take their spots. The Slytherin Captain Sakura Takagi and the Gryffindor Captain Ian Wood shook hands. Their teams stood behind them, ready to go as soon as Madam Hooch started the game.

"Mount your brooms, please." Madam Hooch waited until everyone was ready, gave a curt nod and a loud blast on her silver whistle.

Fourteen brooms took of high into the sky while she released all four balls and took off after them, throwing the Quaffle into the air.

"Here they go off! Welcome to the last Quidditch game of 2020. I'm you commentator, Gerald Smith. Today, what a surprise, we get to see Gryffindor, you recognise the mostly red haired team, against Slytherin, who, sadly, forgot to dye or charm their hair green. If you are bored, sleepy or in a bad mood please leave now." it came from next to Professor Sprouse who was tasked with supervising the annotator. Since Lee Jordan, it was a sport between commentators to beat the legend with even funnier comments. They were not to be biased in favour of their own house but only to keep the crowd entertained.

"Merrythought caught the Quaffle and heeds of towards the rings. The Slytherin Captain looks happy to get some action. Takagi uses her broom to shield the goal. Man this woman knows how to keep her rings safe. I heard that's not the only thing she knows."

As a second year muggle-born Hufflepuff, Gerald was a skinny boy with dark blond hair. Until now he had done a great job at the last few games, but some comments were just too much.

"Smith, the game, nothing else." Professor Sprouse reminded him.

"Guys, you heard our hottest Prof, sorry no more juicy news. Flint caught the Quaffle and sent it on his way to Warrington. Owww that hurts! Never get onto blond Weasley's bad side. Her Bludger hits hard. Her cousin Granger caught it and starts to attack. Merrythought again, outch! this time Burke hit his target. Pucey, Flint annnd goal for Slytherin! No chance for big Weasley with that last second pass."

The three Slytherin Chasers Flint, Pucey and Warrington slapped hands and Takagi gave a thumbs-up to her two Beaters Burke and Peebles. Wood watched his team from his position high up but didn't worry. He knew they would tie the score in no time. His two Beaters played Quidditch together long before they joined Hogwarts, their dads had been best buddies nearly their whole life after all. Roxanne Weasley and Jason Jordan were the best Beaters Gryffindor got since Roxanne's dad and his twin had left Hogwarts.

"Now Potter got the Quaffle. Look at his moves, what a risky flying style! He's a daredevil just like his mom, if you ask me. Granger is right behind him, nearly can't see her if it wasn't for that bright red hair. She looks like a literal fire bolt up there. Sad she's flying a thunderbird, else it would be a great wordplay. Might want to ask her mother to..."

"Smith." Professor Sprouse sighed and smiled at him. "Wrong information."

"Score for Gryffindor. Potter got boxed by Warrington and Pucey but he still did it. It's a 10 – 10 ladies and gentleman!"

It was the odd feeling of someone breathing in her neck that made Luna's hair stand up while she tried to continue focusing on the game. Maybe the person behind her was a little to close, but when she turned around slightly there was nobody behind her. Deciding it had been the wind she wrapped her brown scarf tighter and continued scolding Smith as he commented Mrs. Potter's great Quidditch column instead of the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone had trouble with all the names I have a list for the Quidditch player at hand for you:  
> Gryffindor  
> Ian Wood, Captain, Seeker  
> Louis Weasley, big Weasley, Keeper  
> Rose Weasley-Granger, Granger, Chaser  
> James Potter, Chaser  
> Alec Merrythought, Chaser  
> Jason Jordon, Beater  
> Roxanne Weasley, blond Weasley, Beater
> 
> Slytherin  
> Sakura Takagi, Captain, Keeper  
> Benjamin Rosier, Seeker  
> Felix Flint, Chaser  
> Roy Warrington, Chaser  
> Darius Pucey, Chaser  
> Sebastian Burke, Beater  
> Byron Peebles, Beater


	29. The heartbreaker snitch

On top of the stands, not far from the Slytherins, sat a motionless crow. Nothing beside its eyes moved, while it ignored the game that was taking place in the air. There were two Slytherin boys huddled together in stands talking between them, and the crow was rather focused on them. Had anyone paid the crow any attention they would have found it odd, but while the game was on, everyone had their backs to it.

"Looks like Rosier saw something. He's on the move. Wood? You better get your ass moving Capt'n or else. Ahh never mind, our blond Weasley was faster. That must have hurt. Girl, you can't hit a boy there! Poor guy." came the voice of the commenter from other stands, but the crow tried to listen to what the light blond hair boy below him told his friend.

Had it focused on the game it might have tried to smile, if crows were able to. Takagi was taunting Potter to throw the Quaffle while he circled her, just to knock it back into his face with her broom when he finally threw it.

"That woman, if I was just a bit older...", the skinny boy commenting the game sighed and for a short moment a female voice rang out. "Focus on the game please Smith."

The crow recognized the voice, even if the tone was very different from the one she used when she talked to it at night. For a moment it was distracted remembering the lovely singing voice it had witnessed her using last night, but it kept his gaze on the tuff of black and white blond hair below it.

The Malfoy boy was focused on the game completely, but the same couldn't be said about his friend. It was obvious that Albus Potter would rather be at many other places than the cold, windy Quidditch stands. 

"She's brilliant on a broom!" Scorpius said with a smile, while he focused on a red headed girl in Gryffindor attire.

"Wrong house!" Albus drawled, good natured and rolled his eyes.

Most of the stuff they talked about was irrelevant for the crow. It had been like this for anything it was able to listen to up to now. There was no indication that they worked on changing time like they were supposed to.

"Doesn't matter. I saw her looking my way just now. She knows I'm here. That's true love!"

"Be happy she isn't a beater. Or else she might whack the Bludger towards you, just to show you how much she likes you."

Like any and all of Albus' jaded remarks this one missed the mark completely for Scorpius. He looked at his friend with a big smile and stars in his eyes.

"You think?" and Albus had no idea how his friend saw anything positive in that statement but for some reason Scorpius did.

"You know it would hurt, right?" Albus asked him like he would a little kid.

"Yeh, but she would visit me at the Hospital wing all the time, because she felt guilty."

"You are nuts!"

The crow would have agreed if it had a voice, but it only kept observing from above.

"And you are not? I didn't kill myself to try proving my love."

"No, you just brought back my aunt in a crazy version that creeps around the school now. We agreed not to talk about it since we lost the time turner. " Albus hushed Scorpius and glared at him. Any friendly bickering was gone from his voice now. Scorpius turned back towards the game and they both kept silent while listening to the comments.

"Another goal for Slytherin. Burk is in top form today, getting them all in on big Weasley. Maybe he's as smitten with Burk as I am with Takagi and dizzy with lovesickness? Potter is for sure, he always throws them right at her. 40 – 10 for Slytherin!"

 

XxX

 

Scorpius and Albus were on their way to congratulate the Gryffindor team on catching the Snitch, but losing the game, when Scorp drew up short. He had bugged his friend into this because he wanted to see Rose, and Alb had followed, shaking his head. 

What both of them hadn't anticipated was meeting Rose just outside the lockers, giving Ian Wood a soaring hot kiss, while everyone around them whistled. In her hand she held the Snitch Wood had caught a few minutes ago and the boy looked rather smitten with his lady. Albus grabbed Scorpius' arm when he tried to move forward. He saw the hurt and the anger on his best friend's face and didn't want him to get into trouble over his thoughtless cousin. She wasn't worth it in Albus eyes, none of his worthless family was. 

Feeling the anger over his oh so heroic family bubble, Albus dragged Scorpius away from the spectacle Rose made of herself, towards another entrance.

When they were hidden in an alcove, where no one could see them, Albus finally let go of Scorpius' arm and turned towards his friend. 

"Why?" Scorpius asked him with tears in his eyes. "I only wanted her to notice me. Just once. Why couldn't it be me?" the words were barely audible, but Albus hugged his best friend hard to let him know he wasn't alone. It was only for a few seconds, they were boys after all, but they both knew they were best friends who could always depend on each other.

"I always told you Rose can be a bitch. She isn't worth your time." Albus told his friend like he had many times before, and swore to himself he would make Rose hurt like she hurt his best friend. Even if he quarrelled with Scorpius and they didn't talk afterwards, they were best friends.

"She's better off with Woods. Maybe I am the son of the devil himself. Not even you should spend time with me."

"Shut up Scorp." Albus told him when he went down that road again and hit him. "I told you a bunch of times already; you sadly look just like your dad. I once heard Mom tell Dad that Voldemort was a good looking dude with dark hair and that everyone just thinking you could be his son had to have hit his head really hard. And let's totally forget you are born eight years after his defeat. Rather long pregnancy your mother had with you." Alb's tone was rather sarcastic but he couldn't take Scorp's whining. Sometimes he thought his friend rather stupid when he brought up all the dumb rumours others spread about him.

"How does your mother know how Voldemort looked before he turned ugly?" Scorpius asked and forgot his problems for a second.

"No idea mate. Ask her yourself. I'd rather not bring up any nightmares." Albus shut up afterwards. He never liked to share personal things, but Scorp was his best friend. It wasn't like he hadn't asked himself the same question after overhearing his parents talk. 

"Now get your shit together Scorp, you are a freaking Slytherin not a Hufflepuff." Albus said with a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My beta Eva was really intrested why I introduced Ian Wood into the story some chapters ago and asked, but I woulnd't tell her because I knew this heartbreak was coming. Since it's Christmas in just over a weeks time I wanted to give you the winter breake chapters just in time, but like any and all of my plots, Christmas, too, will be late this year. There is so much going on and I didn't want to hurry just get there.


	30. Will you always be there?

Chapter 30 – Will you always be there?

Within the next weeks Hermione concentrated on learning for her degree in Defence Against the Dark Arts. While she knew most of the spells by heart after her years in hiding, she still relished burying herself in any books she got her hands on. She needed it to keep herself from overthinking what she had done. She wavered between hoping for pregnancy and self-loathing, adding her longing to see Draco, she was a mess.

Sleep was once again mostly avoiding her and the few times she actually fell asleep often ended in a panic attack. It was about Aquila in the beginning but changed towards the end. Different people she had met here in this time accusing her of stealing their friend Hermione, Ron shouting at her for her selfishness or her old Professors looking at her like she had failed them. But by far the worst one was when she saw Draco at one side and Aquila at the other. They always told her to choose. Some nights she was rooted to the ground and others she moved towards one of them just to have them both vanish while Bellatrix crazy laugh sounded from afar. On days like that she stayed hidden in her room and didn't answer any visitors at her door. It took everything she had not to shout and cry herself hoarse.

On her good days she was glad that the room Minerva had assigned to her wasn't too far from the library, where she spent a lot of her time. If any of the students wondered why she was at Hogwarts they didn't dare to ask her. The only one that was brave enough to speak to her was Scorpius anyway. Her own children, as she had to remind herself again and again to call them, ignored her or steered clear of her. She saw Hugo twice but when he noticed her looking at him he scurried away. She didn't know what Rose had told her brother, but it was clear, while he had a settled character, he wasn't one to scrutinize. So she never had the chance to talk to him yet, keeping true to her promise to leave them alone if they didn't initiate a conversation. She didn't want to pressure them after Rose's reaction.

Her divorce with Ron was official for a few days and she wondered how the gossip pages weren't full of it yet. She knew Harry was most likely to thank for that. He took over most of her workload and kept mailing the most important things via owl towards Hogwarts. She still couldn't believe that she was the Minister of Magic. As much as she knew that her old self worked hard and had a dream fulfilled when she had succeeded Kingsley last year, she couldn't identify. With no knowledge of this world she only had the pace notes of her old self to rely on, while she made decisions. She knew her time in hiding at Hogwarts was running out fast. She wanted them to make her resignation official faster.

Molly was also sending her letters after letters. Her mother-in-law was just as she remembered her. Her words had switched from ones of anger to sorrow and angst after the first two weeks. Being a mother herself Hermione had stopped reading them, because she knew she should answer, but every draw for an answer had been unsatisfying. She would need to meet up with Molly and hope the older woman would understand her and not curse her like she deserved it. At least she had taken Harry's advice to heart and started reading the rest of the letters and answered some.

When it knocked on her door she raised her head from her book in surprise. It was late already and none of the staff ever visited her after curfew. Bothered she went to open and was greeted with the sight of Rose standing on her doorstep.

"You said you would always be there for us. Always!" she muttered and Hermione saw the tears in her eyes. Sighing she beckoned her in and prepared herself mentally for the coming conversation. Her daughter didn't move from the doorstep, but the tears started running unrestrained. She looked rather dishevelled and Hermione was reminded a lot of herself at Rose's age. A baggy uniform, slightly less tousled locks maybe and a flushed face.

"Don't you love us anymore? You not only divorced Dad, but left us too. He said you wouldn't be home for Christmas next month. You need to be home. It's Christmas. You promised nothing would ever make you stop loving us." Rose hiccupped and didn't give Hermione a chance to respond.

The girl turned around and ran away after she finished talking. Hermione went to follow her when she saw a tall blond boy at the end of the hallway who headed her daughter off and hugged her hard. She gave him a nod and closed her door again. So much for giving the children time to come for her. It looked like she would need to talk to Rose, especially since she had no idea what this had been about, but for now her girl had a friend with her.

Hermione came to a standstill when she noticed she had call Rose her girl in her head and a few tears started to gather in her own eyes. Talking to Ginny helped more than she could ever thank her friend for.

She had been able to open up more and more towards the redhead lately. The last time she had told her something she started to discover for herself.

"I feel like I can't even trust myself."

To voice it out loud had taken a lot of courage even if it was just in front of Ginny. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish all of you a very happy Christmas with all your dear ones and a lot of laughter.


	31. Do you know the divorce ratio?

Rose hugged Ian tightly and was grateful he was here with her. It had taken a lot of courage to ask him to go with her. While she had only agreed to date him for selfish reasons first, she had got to see his good sides within a short time. He was reliable like a rock and considerate of her moods. Growing up with a bunch of boys, she knew not many boys would be so good-natured.

"I guess it didn't went like you wanted it to?" he asked when she had calmed down a bit and the worst crying had stopped.

"I didn't wait for her answer. Just seeing how emotionless her face was, was too much." Rose knew she was being unfair, but at the moment she didn't care. When she had read her grandmother's invitation to join them for the Christmas break she had known her parents wouldn't be there. Her father was out of her reach, so she took her anger out on her mother.

She knew Grandma Molly had wanted to be considerate of her and Hugo, but it had been like a blow. Rose had been sure she and Hugo would go home for Christmas together with her Mom and her Dad, it would be a bit odd, but at least her parents would be talking and working everything out for their sake. They didn't need to be in love and married for all Rose cared, but they should be able put themselves together for two weeks.

"I don't know what's wrong with you and your mother Rose but I'm sure it won't get fixed by running away. You are a lion, so you need to stand your ground even if you are frightened by what could happen. Now go back and give her a chance, I'm sure she's just as sad as you are."

Ian whipped his girlfriend's tears from her face and smiled at her while leaning his forehead against hers. Giving her a short and sweet kiss he stepped back at nodded towards the door.

"I'll be here." he promised and Rose drew a breath before she went to knock on her mother's door again.

XxX

"Did you know that the divorce ratio in the United Kingdom is around 40% for the muggles but only around 5% for the wizards?" Hermione asked her daughter while she stirred some tea for them. They hadn't talked since her daughter had come in again with her tear stained face and sat down on the seat Hermione had offered her the first time she knocked.

"A romantic would see it as a blessing, maybe even magic, how good we seem to be at finding our soulmate. The reality is that in our world it's shameful to divorce. A simple signature under a document isn't enough to seal the deal. A marriage joined by magic needs reasons to be divorced, other than mutual agreement. To divorce a wizard marriage there needs to be a seal from the Wizenmagot on it and they like to investigate."

There was a silence after Hermione stopped talking. Rose wasn't sure what her mother wanted to tell her, but stating facts was something she did often before she talked about what was going on. It was her mother's way to soften the blow of bad news or to help along find a solution.

"When I joined Hogwarts I was full of dreams and couldn't stop reading all these books about magic and what I would be able to do. I always had trouble to find friends, because I was, apparently, a snotty little know-it-all. I never saw myself as such, but if you're told that's the way others see you, you can either accept it and go on or change your ways. You father voiced that opinion often and rather loud in my first year here and after believing I was finally somewhere I would be accepted, it was a huge blow. Still he and Harry went to rescue me from that troll the day I went into the toilet crying because of him. Our relationship was the same ever since. Your father wouldn't watch his mouth, I would shoot back and we both would end up hurt over trivial things, still I fell in love with him because once he got over it he would always come back, risking everything. That's why I hurt him so bad this time Rose, I don't want him to come back. He needs to accept that it's over and move on."

Rose listened to her mother but she couldn't understand it. There were no reasons for her mother to behave like that. Yes they quarrelled and she had often asked herself why they didn't separate, but she had never imagined it to be this final.

"All of this has nothing to do with you or your brother Rose, and I'm sorry it affects you as much as it does. I would love to get to know you, on your terms, if you want. I can't give you back the mother who brought you up, but I'll try to be there for you as much as I can."

They sat in silence again and Hermione kept her eyes on the girl in front of her. She could see so much of herself and Aquila in her, but focused on really seeing the girl. Her hair was curly and a bit untamed, leaning towards her brownish colour and not Ron's fire bright red. The colour was just red enough to give her a unique touch that would always out her as a Weasley.

"I don't understand you Mom." Rose told her some time later and went to leave the room, closing the door silently behind her. She wasn't angry anymore, just bone-deep exhausted.

Looking at the closed door Hermione sighed and ran her hands over her face. This was the best she had been able to do, without opening the can of worms her relationship with Ron was while the war. His betrayal still stung.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!  
> Hoping for more reviews and comments this year to get even better.


	32. How Hugo made sure

"Delphi wrote a letter to meet up at Hogsmeade and I'll sneak out next weekend, before we head home for Christmas." Albus told Scorpius on their way to breakfast, after making sure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation.

His best friend had been a goofball until his mother had died a year ago. Since then he had grown a lot more gloomy and silent, which had worsened since Rose relationship with the Gryffindor Captain's coming out. They didn't really hide it that much was sure. His cousin was holding hands with the dude, smiling at him, but at least she wasn't making a public spectacle out of their intimacies. He had yet to see them snog again in public like they had after the game.

Scorpius refused unwaveringly to talk about it at all since the game. It's what made Albus stop talking about Delphi until now, because if what Scorpius had to say about his girl had been bad before, it was even worse now. He had waited a few days already to bring the letter he got up, but now he was running out of time.

To leave alone was always an opinion, but he knew they would have a better chance of sneaking out and in again, without being noticed, if they worked together.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Scorpius was looking at Alb tiredly and they both knew why. He had no problem with breaking a rule or two, but a whole bunch of problems that came along with Delphi. Albus could go on all day if he was to be asked what kind of problems Scorpius had with his girl. Starting with her look, her tone, her pleas, her behaviour, and it could go on and on. It's what made his answer so curt.

"I'm not telling you to comment, only to give you the choice to accompany me. Leave it or take it."

Sometimes he wasn't sure if Scorpius was really anxious or just didn't like for him to be happy. That thought occurred more and more the last weeks, but then he saw the concern in his best friend's eyes and knew he was an idiot for even thinking about it. He would never leave Scorpius behind, not because of a girl or a row and his friend was the same.

Nonetheless Albus wanted to see Delphi before he had to join his family for the holidays. He dreaded them nearly as much as he did the summer break. Not taking her invitation to Hogsmeade wasn't an option for him.

Christmas at Grimmauld Place would be awful. Everyone would be joking around, smiling and live the perfect family life. Then his father would try to talk to him because he treasured their father-son time. They would quarrel like so many times before, because his dad didn't know when to shut up and his mom would look at them with sad eyes afterwards and hug him even tighter at his department. It would end with a reassurance from her that his dad meant well and a curt nod from him. Maybe she'd even tell him how similar he and Harry were, and he would have to keep from rolling his eyes again. His perfect dad with his perfect family and poor Slytherin Albus.

He was so pissed off by it all, just thinking about the holidays.

XxX

The knock on her door was faint, but it interrupted Hermione's concentration. She stood up from her small table and stretched her aching body. Sitting in the same position for too long left her hurting, but once she was engrossed in her studies she couldn't help herself.

The book on the table tried to explain the different concepts of time travel and their outcome. It was old, partial and rather vague in most of its answers. All in all it gave Hermione a headache but no help.

Opening the door she was greeted by a small boy with a tuff of short brown wild hair, wearing a blue Ravenclaw uniform and carrying a lot of books on his arm. He watched her reaction to him and frowned just like Ron would when she didn't show anything.

"Hi." he whispered and tried to look into the room behind her. He was rather insecure after he had heard the story from his sister more than a month ago. Then there was the letter from his Dad shortly after, telling him that he and his mother would divorce.

Just his mother never approached him at all. He had seen her in the library quite often, but she never took notice of him. To be fair he had always hidden as soon as he saw her. His sister was the bossy one and directed him. If she told him to stay away from the imposter he did. But he had watched his mother many times. There were things different about her, but he knew her little tell tales. An imposter wouldn't be able to know them all. So he was quite sure this woman was his mother and something awful had happened. Debating with himself he had decided to ignore his sister this once and investigate himself. After asking Rose a few questions until she snapped he knew his sister took it worse than she let on. So he was here now, standing in front of his mother, smiling sheepishly and carrying book on amnesia and magical accidents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I haven't said it this year yet: No rights on the characters belong to me (beside Aquila!)
> 
> We are back on track, problems were solved and everything is betaed by our lovely Eva again.
> 
> As we continue it gets more and more complex so I'm counting on you guys to tell me if I mess something up. Should you find nothing I bodged I would feel very happy to hear from you anyway.  
> SN0214: Thank you for your support. You make me smile so often, if I could I would hug you.


	33. Can I still call you Mom?

"I'm Hugo." he told her in a small voice. "Rose's younger brother. She told me you had some memory problems. I was rather worried, so I looked everything I found in the library up. I brought some of the books I found helpful with me. Maybe I can help you with them. And if not, we could talk. You can ask me anything. But maybe Rose already offered. I don't want to impose."

Hugo kept talking when there was still no answer from his mother. All she did was looking at him as if trying to figure out who he was and what he wanted. He only knew what his dad and Rose had shared, which wasn't much, but he wanted to find out the rest. He was way too curious to stay put. What he hadn't counted on, however, was her silence. He knew she most likely wouldn't remember him, but still his mother had always be a warm person, welcoming anyone at their home. She didn't bear grudges or send them away if they had questions. Yes she was a busy woman, always spending many hours at work, even bringing work home to continue it after dinner, but if Hugo approached her, she had always set it aside. He was always proud to say he had his thirst for knowledge from his mother. After spending a few years at a muggle primary school he knew most adults didn't have Hermione Granger-Weasley's patience with his endless questions.

He had learned to keep his head down at school and wait for whoever would raise his hand, then if no-one could answer, he joined in. Of course he knew nearly all the answers even before they covered the topic in class, but he disliked the way the teachers fussed over him and how the other students always glared at him if he was the first to raise his hand.

Maybe he was a bit socially awkward, he knew that himself, but it didn't bother him. He rather kept to himself than join endless chatter over irrelevant topic that didn't interest him.

Spending time at the library to solve a problem was what he was best at and loved the most. That's why he had gone straight there when he had an idea of what was wrong with his mom.

"Okkkk... If it's not convenient now, should I try again later? You look rather tired. Maybe you want to sleep. It's late already. I'm sorry I'll come back tomorrow. Only if you want me to though." Hugo took a step away from the door and blushed a deep shade of scarlet in embarrassment. He almost felt as bad as if he had failed a test and he hated feeling like this the most. Maybe this woman was really different from the mother he knew after all. It looked a lot like he besieged her. He knew better than to be outgoing and ramble on. In his own eyes one of his worst traits. He just never knew when to stop talking.

XxX

The first thing Hermione noticed about her son was that he babbled away when he was nervous. It was something she had happened to do herself when she was still a girl and showed her just how much courage it had taken for him to show up at her door.

"Please come in. I'm just doing some reading myself." she offered with a smile. She hoped she sounded sincere, because she was a bit overwhelmed by her children at the moment. First Rose this morning, which had left her rather rattled, and now Hugo, was a bit much for one day.

"Thank you Mom." Hugo said shyly and then stood rigged right beside her. "Can I still call you Mom?" he asked afraid and went right into an explanation. "I can call you Hermione or Mrs. Granger, or is it Miss Granger now? You just need to tell me!" he nearly shouted with his eyes wide.

"Calm down Hugo. I know I am your mother, so you can call me whatever you prefer."

XxX

A few days later Delphi was seething at Hogsmeade.

These two boys were good-for-nothings. They even lost the time turner. How was she supposed to have her Happy End now? She needed it back and fast. She spent weeks planning this and everything went beautifully until this stupid boy tells her his aunt had taken the time turner from them.

"Albus..." she smiled at the love drunken boy, "I'm sure there is a way for you to get our time turner back from Miss Granger." she caressed his hair a bit while Scorpius said nothing, standing right beside them. He was afraid after he had seen the dark shadows in Delphi's eyes. She was bad news, he had known for quite some time. The tattoo on her back was enormous and he was sure he had seen the motive before in History of Magic. For some reason he knew it was linked to Voldemort, but he kept his mouth shut. Just looking at woman who ran around with a backless top in the middle of the winter in Scotland could prove his reasoning to anyone except Albus. Heating charms were not that strong.

"It's not a problem Delphi. Just trust us. It's not a problem at all. We'll fix it." Albus was babbling on and on, repeating himself. Maybe he had seen the crazy touch Delphi had today or he only wanted her to smile at him again, but the next moment any hope for the second were out the window.

"You don't want to know what will happen if you don't!" she showed her true colours, yanking Albus' hair until he cried out in pain. Then she patted his head and kissed him to smooth his pain, making it look like the short outburst had never been.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you? We don't want your little friend here hurt, do we? Something bad is in his future, if we don't change the past soon." her voice was cold and lethal and her smile showed no warmth when she looked at Scorpius.

"I'll see you next year, have a great Christmas."

She had waited for weeks to be able to approach them unseen. Sneaking around Hogwarts was too risky for her and they hadn't been allowed to Hogsmeade for a while. But now here was her chance. What did she care if they got detention for a week or two? All that mattered was that they did what she wanted. And she wanted him back alive. She was Bellatrix' heir after all, the darkness was in her blood. She thrived in it.

"When spares are spared, when time is turned, when unseen children murder their fathers, will the dark lord return." the word echoed only in her head but she could hear them loud and clear. If it wasn't for the third part she would have done it herself, but it had to be Albus fucking Potter to fulfil the Prophecy.

Laughing darkly she disapparated, knowing the two pubs would do just as told. If not she would send an old friend after them. He would have no problems sneaking into Hogwarts, after watching them for weeks already.


	34. Reaching out

Hermione took some time to consider what she had heard from her children, while the days got shorter and shorter. Hogwarts was preparing for Christmas and while most students were already fully into the holiday spirit, a few could still be seen studying for the last few tests that would come up beforehand.

It had been a hard decision to make. Ron and she might be divorced now, exactly as she wanted, but she still had two children to take care of. Giving up was not an option she could ever choose.

As reserved as she had been at the beginning, she couldn't just back out on her family here. The walls she had built around her to keep herself safe had crumbled when she had seen the hurt in Rose's face and the hope Hugo held when he finally talked to her. They were her children too. It was a revelation that had finally hit her and that had sent her to sleep crying the evening after their visit. Now she felt like she had decided to act too harshly, without considering all the facts.

She knew that her panic had overwritten her rationality when she had landed herself in this different world, but it felt like she had failed yet again.

Hugo had been so open with her after he had gotten over his shyness. He had accepted the facts she had told him about her situation with a patient and understanding attitude she hadn't expected from a 12-year-old kid. The books he had found would have been helpful, had she really been victim to a normal magical accident. He had found various treatments, like visiting other people's memories in a Pensieve, which could be very risky but helped in cases where the victim wanted their life back, or some kind of magical meditation with retransition. Hugo must have spent hours and hours not far from her in the library to find all the different books. She had hoped he hadn't neglected his own schoolwork or friends for his research, but when she asked him he had closed down and refused to talk about school or friends.

As for Ron, it had taken a few days to get a hold of him. The Hogwarts owl she sent for him took nearly a week to get back to her, with only a ripped off paper stating a date and time and nothing else. Even with the little he had written it had taken her quite a few moments to make out his handwriting. It was still as sloppy as she remembered it from school, reading over his homework to correct his mistakes. They were bittersweet memories, old and tarnished, but she was able to conjure them up to overcast the newer, horrible and sad ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, it's been quiet some time since the last update and sadly I have to announce the series will be on hiatus for the coming month or two.  
> I'm so sorry but I won't change it. The last 7 weeks were really hard on me, with an odysee of docs, hospital and bedrest. I'm getting better now but after such a long time my life is a mess I need to focus on other things for the time being.  
> For today I hope you liked the small update I found on my PC and we'll read each other soon.


	35. A panic attak

The days until Ron's visit were spent writing down what she should say, but Hermione burned all her drafts. Nothing seemed right and when she reread it again she always found it lacking of something. A few times she debated getting help from Harry or Ginny, but she decided she should be able to do it alone. A wrong decision she would only notice too late.

XxX

"Hello Ron.", Hermione greeted the man in front of her and tried to keep her voice normal, but she knew it fell flat. She looked him right in the eyes, but the shudder that went through her when he entered her room wasn't something she could stifle. His red hair shone just a tad redder in the evening light and made her remember another time, at another place, when it had been as red as blood.

"Hermione.", Ron's response wasn't any friendlier than her welcome and she could see he looked haggard. His robe was loose around his figure and while she might not look any better than him she at least knew why. Under all that aversion she held for the Ron she had lived with the last years there was a spark of genuine concern for the man in front of her.

"Would you like something to drink?", she asked with a lump in her throat and kept herself busy by walking towards her little table. She wasn't ready to sit down as long as he was standing and looking around her private space.

"I don't understand you 'Mione. We were fine until you went crazy and fell in love with the ferret." Ron suddenly whispered after she watched him walk around the room in circles. Hermione held herself still and breathed deeply.

"Can you honestly say that I am the love of your life? Was your first thought every morning since we last saw each other about me? Did my letter make your heart beat faster? Is your heart breaking each day you pass without seeing me?" Hermione looked at Ron and made a short break before she continued: "Or was it more like you were angry and now hope I came to my senses when I saw the divorce was real. Didn't you hope that I would crawl back to you? Wasn't that why you meet up with me?"

The moment the hateful word left her mouth she knew she shouldn't have said them, but she couldn't stop herself. She felt as if all the emotions suddenly needed to pour out of her or she would burst. Her room was too small and it took everything to stay where she was and not try to get away as fast as possible.

"I have no idea why, after listening to you just now! That's my problem, because you never talked to me. But what is yours Hermione? Whatever that Ron in your time did, it wasn't me! I fucking came here because of my children. And maybe to get an answer to why this all happened to our family."

Hermione slumped down in her chair, because the man in front of her was right, but she was drenched in sweat. They knew nothing about each other and she just attacked him for nothing but a snippy comment. He had suddenly looked so aggressive to her. Now her heart raced and her thoughts were in turmoil.

"I am sorry Ron. You are right, my anger got the best of me. I was the one who asked you to come and talk because of the children."

"Why do you even care? Suddenly remembered they are yours?", she could see his temper ran high now. All the frustration of the last weeks slashed themselves a way out of him.

"No Ron, I don't remember something that never happened for me, but to them I'm still their mother either way. Rose asked about Christmas and I wanted to know where we stood. I don't think I should show up at the Burrow, but she was really angry.", Hermione tried to explain the situation, but she could still see the anger in Ron's face. Her chance to talk to him openly was already lost. She knew she shouldn't have shouted, but it was too late now.

"You know what? I don't care! Clean up this mess you created yourself. I love our children, heck I don't know why, but I even love you, however I've had enough of your crap. We are divorced, so they'll get used to the situation. They'll spend Christmas with me, you can have them when they are at school. Maybe you can make up for all the time you'd rather spend at work than with your family."

Ron's final words echoed together with the door he had once again slammed close behind him. Hermione stayed behind in her small room she had gotten here at Hogwarts, looking around, blinking to keep her tears at bay. She hated how pathetic she had become in the short time she spent in a world without war. Constant vigilance she scolded herself, but knew she had messed up with Ron anyway.

She had wanted to make sure that there was no way around a divorce, having her own Ron in mind, never trying to get to know the person he grew up to be in this different world.

"What am I doing?", she whispered but there was no one who could hear and answer her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back and Hermione is getting worse. Thank you for all your patience the last months. I hope I'll be able to post more often now that I'm back home and working. I'm also thinking about remodelling a few of the old chapters to make the story flow more smootly, but my priority will be the new chapters.


	36. Hugo's solicitation

"Mara?", Lucy Weasley's voice sounded through the hall where Rose's best friend walked towards the Gryffindor tower. She and some other classmates had just finished their Divination class with a very grey-haired Professor Trelawney. A class Rose had vowed to never even try out after seeing the book Unfogging your future, when one of her older cousins finished his homework at their home over the holidays. She loved to read, but after just a few pages she had set it aside, complaining how magic could be so boring and unspecific.

"Hi.", Mara greeted back shyly, her brown eyes insecure. Lucy was not just two years older, but also a Ravenclaw Prefect. Her long black hair, just a tiny bit curly, and her green eyes made a striking combination. Her oblong face was small, with a nose and mouth both just a little bit too big to make her look really beautiful. Her smile was warm, but she could be harsh, if she found some students who didn't follow the rules or bullied others.

Beside her greetings towards Rose, Lucy and Mara had nothing to do with one another, so Mara was anxious about what had made the older girl want to talk to her.

"Sorry to retain you Mara. I haven't got a hold of Rose the last few days. Do you know if she's fine?"

Lucy was a lot like her dad Percy, for she was serious and very keen on her studies, but she had her mother's caring nature and sweet smile. Hearing what was going on in her family, she couldn't help but worry about Rose and Hugo, but mostly Rose. Her cousin was a temperamental teenager who wanted to look strong, so she hardly asked for help. Sometimes having someone to talk to could help and Lucy wanted to let her know that she would be there for her.

"Oh, yes, I guess? She's a bit down and emotional but she spends most of her time with Ian at the moment. They just started going out. She is happy to spend time with him so I hardly see her too."

Mara blushed when she heard what this conversation was about and scolded herself for worrying. Sometimes she wondered why the hat had put her in Gryffindor. All she ever did was worry about what could go wrong, but mostly after she rushed right into the trouble.

"Thank you Mara. Sorry again for keeping you from you next class. Now hurry up."

"I'll tell her you enquired about her once I catch her tonight. I'm sure she'll check in with you.", Mara said while she turned around and went to follow her classmates towards the tower. There was still enough time to be back before curfew without a hurry, but with a Prefect watching her Mara shook a leg anyway, her own shoulder-length straight black hair swinging behind her.

XxX

In the evening the Ravenclaw tower was full, but less noisy than any other house and small groups were sitting together at the tables of the Common Room, talking softly about their classes or the upcoming weekend.

After her two classmates had left for the dorms, Lucy was sitting alone in the sitting place not far from one of the big arched windows when the chair next to her was suddenly occupied again.

Hugo shyly smiled at her and his whole face looked hopeful.

"Sorry Hugo, I couldn't catch her again."

She could see the smile fall from his face and he started to frown before she was finished.

"But I talked to Mara earlier and she'll tell Rose that I want to talk to her. That is if she wants to.", Lucy felt like she had to remind her small cousin of that. She couldn't and wouldn't meddle in Rose's affairs if she didn't her want to. No matter how much Hugo wanted her to help Rose, she couldn't help someone who saw no need for advice.

Further it was a problem Lucy herself had never encountered and wasn't sure how to handle. There were a lot of feelings and people involved in this drama and she feared to give the wrong advice. Mainly she just wanted to offer a sympathetic ear, like she had for Hugo. He had been the one to explain the situation to her and ask for help with Rose, because she had reacted badly in his eyes. For him his mother was his mother, with or without memories. He tried to see the best in the situation and told Lucy it was funny how he retold a story for his mom and she had sat there, listened and smiled at him.

Since he was small his mother had spent most of her time working and it had always been his dad, his sister and him at home. To have his mother talking to him about her memory problems, confiding in him and having her all for himself had lessened the shock of her losing her memory for Hugo.

Lucy was just happy Aunt Hermione had stopped him from spending any more time in the library to find other solutions to her problems. She had invited Hugo to join her again, an invitation Hugo was to shy yet to take, but had told him his friends and his studies were more important. His sad little smile when he had told Lucy how important friends were in his mother's eyes had made her want to hug her little cousin.

As a relative and someone from his own house she knew and saw how hard Hugo's first year was for him. Another strange Weasley that didn't end up in Gryffindor, was what they called him, or the Minister's little nestling. Children could be spiteful if they didn't understand something or were jealous. Hugo was shy and sensitive and had a rough time. Instead of searching for other friends, who didn't care for his family he had hidden himself away in the library reading every book he had gotten his hands on. Beside her, his sister and some other cousins she hadn't seen him talk to anyone outside of lessons.

Looking over towards his classmates she noticed Elena watching them. The little girl had tried, the first few weeks, to make Hugo join her group of first years, but the others had made her stop rather fast. Lucy didn't know what happened but she didn't pressure Hugo to tell her. Things would happen in their own time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many of you loved Hugo so this little chapter is for you.  
> By now there are so many characters that the story is taking longer to unfold than I planned. I promise we'll go deeper into Hermione's misery in the future and to answer the question some of you bought up intheir comments: No, Hermione isn't likeable nor is she supposed to be at this point. She has PTSD, and if any of you ever had a personal experiance with it, you know that it twists the person. It's a mental illness that manifests in different ways and makes it hard to regognize the loved person it burries. This story is my personal way of looking at it, and the way I let her deal with it is neither right nor wrong but simple fiction.  
> Since many of you voiced a problem with her behaviour I want to warn you here, it will get worse before it gets better.


	37. Another bad dream

_Ron was right next to her and hugged her tight. Her pregnant belly hindered him to get closer. She looked down at herself, confused. Ron had never seen her pregnant, or had he? Her best friend smiled at her in a way she hadn't seen since school._

_His blue eyes were full of life and happiness. Tacking a step back she tried to get space between them, but he followed and threw his arm around her again._

_She could hear him laughing and looked around to see what had led to his good mood, but he stopped her from getting away from him with his larger and stronger arms._

_Hermione looked at the arm around her, when the shirt he had worn suddenly vanished and she saw blood instead._

_Looking up at Ron in horror, she saw his face starting to shift from a smile to pure loathing and his vibrant red hair was matted in blood, making it shine even more._

_Hermione tried to scream, but Ron hugged her to him even closer, covering her in his blood while his laugh sounded more and more crazy. His arms, still wrapped around her, pressed closer and closer, hurting her as it went on. She tried to free herself but he was too strong, leaving her helpless. All she wanted to do was to scream, protect herself and her child, but the only noise around her was a mad man's laugh._

Hermione shot up in the bed, breathing hard from the nightmare, her mouth open in a soundless scream. It was different from her normal ones and she knew it had to do with seeing Ron again. Their shouting match hadn't smothered her anxiety and she had gone to bed upset. She knew better than to do so, but had felt so tired from their row that she had done it anyway.

She tried to focus on a happier memory while she made use of a relaxing tactic she had read in one of the books on PTSD.

Breathing in through her nose until her lungs were full she held her breath only to breath in some more until she was nearly bursting. When she couldn't hold it any longer she slowly let it go through her mouth. She continued it a few more times, lying back in her bed, focusing on a cherished memory with Draco. It was hard to focus on anything else but the feeling of Ron's blood running through her fingers. She knew if she looked at them she would be able to see it clearly. Dark red moister covering her arms and cloths, a small voice in the background crying and the laughter, always the crazy laughter.

Finally, a better memory surfaced. It had been their wedding night after Severus had bonded them in a small ceremony with only the three of them. Scorpius had slept through it all in another room and they had been able to say their vows without interruption.

Had Ginny still been alive Hermione would have asked her to be her maid of honour, and help her with her dress. As it was she had transfigured one of her plain dresses into something appropriated and had done her best to look lovely. The way Draco had looked at her when he saw her in her simple white long dressrobe had been worth spending all the time in the bath to tame her hair and make the best out of the few styling charms she had overheard Lavender use in their shared bath at Hogwarts years earlier. The ceremony was short and without glamour, just a few words spoken to reinforce the feeling they had for each other with magic. To bound them together as long as they lived and make them stronger of a unit.

Afterwards they had spent a better part of the night talking about what they would do, should Voldemort ever be defeated. Ideas were bounced around and they had argued good-naturedly about who would make the run for Minister, Draco, Hermione or Severus.

However for all of that, the part of the night she liked the most had been something different.

Draco had taken his time with her. Kissing her slowly but steadily on her lips while his hands roomed her body. It hadn't been their first time, but by fare one of the least hurried, and the sweetest.

Her arms had been wrapped around his neck while they lay in bed, playing with the hair in his neck, while her breast had been pressed against his chest. The kisses had a rough but sweet taste to them and had made her squirm to get closer to him.

When his hard on had rubbed against her she had gasped and wrapped one of her legs around him. He had stopped kissing her when he heard it and had smiled down at her.

She had used this distraction to get her hands up under his white shirt. Draco mostly looked calm and collected when they were around others but now it had been obvious that he could be different too. Hermione had tugged his shirt off over his head with her hands, while her mouth had planted small little kisses on his torso and his nipples that had made him arch into her. He had been made of ice-cool hair and perfect pale skin, with abs that proofed that he did work out. She had loved stroking him, to feel his soft skin under her hands. Next she had gone to his belt buckle to get rid of his trousers, making short work of the belt and the zipper on them. Her lips had fluttered over his pulse that beat rapidly against them when she had kissed him there. His hands had been working on getting her dress of, but she had been pressed against him to closely now for him to manage it. When she had continued kissing him wherever she could reach he had grown more and more tense with desire. She had known he was letting her call the tune and had been happy too, as long as he could savour it as much as she did.

"Please Hermione."

Draco had tried to get her attention and she had allowed him to push her back a bit to pull the dress off. His voice had been husky with desire and had turned her on even more. He had pulled her up to have them chest to chest afterwards and had continued kissing her in a way that made her head spin lightly with yearning.

Draco had shrugged his trousers off the rest of the way, after she had pushed it over his ass, which had left them only in their underwear. Being brave, Hermione had moved her hand into his briefs to brush her thumb across the head of his penis, making him suck in a breath. Hooking her fingers in his underwear she had gone down to get it down his legs while she had watched his reaction.

After coming up again she had run her hands through his hair, messing it up even more, relishing in seeing him this dishevelled. He had kissed her below her ear to her shoulder and pushed away her bra strap to continue his journey. Nicking her skin with his teeth lightly he had unhooked her bra to get rid of it, all the while had he never stopped planting small kisses on her skin. When he had gotten to her nipple he had wrapped his mouth around the small hard bud and sucked very lightly, first on one side, than the other. Moaning loudly Hermione had arched her back to give him better access and had pressed her wet centre against his hard penis.

They had continued exploring each other for some time, when Draco had finally got rid of her panties and trapped her under him. She had shivered, feeling the thrill of anticipation, when he had lifted her leg over his hip. Looking at each other they had savoured the moment when he had finally started to slide into her. Hermione had kissed him hard and gasped softly when she had felt him deep inside her, her fingers digging into his shoulders. He had lifted her up a bit, and she had arched her back and whispered his name, to get a better angle. His weight propped on one hand he had held her up with the other to keep from crashing her with his weight. She had smiled at his care and had grabbed his hair to drag him down in another kiss.

They had moved against each other in a lazy but fulfilling rhythm they had both enjoyed, small sounds of joy and satisfaction all that could be heard. Touches had been shared between them, kisses exchanged while the world around them had seemed to have stopped.

Little quivers could be felt when Hermione had gotten closer and closer to her orgasm until she had finally shattered. Her nails had dug into Draco's shoulders and he had arched his back when he felt her surrender to her pleasure, joining her shortly after with a groan.

They had both been breathing hard afterwards and Draco had rolled over to gather Hermione on top of him and cover them both with the sheets.

Coming back out her memory her breath was even and Hermione's panic had calmed down. Instead her heart hurt for what she had lost of the few good things life had given her. Would she ever go back to Draco's arms without shame to feel safe and loved? Could she accept the two kids this world had given her for her own? Should she literally let go of Aquila? So many questions were spinning in her head and making her sick. Her control over her feelings was lacking but she couldn't choke them all.

Running to the toilet she vomited until she cried and felt like her heart might hurt a little bit less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's rather intense but I hope it gives some insight.


End file.
